The Joseph Pappan Memorial Indoor Stadium at Varapuzha, a long-pending dream of the public, will become a reality soon. The foundation stone of the stadium will be laid by Kerala Legislative Assembly speaker G Karthikeyan at Varapuzha on December 19.
V D Satheesan MLA said `2.04 crore has been sanctioned for the high-tech stadium which will boast of two volleyball wooden courts of international standards.
The stadium is expected to be the venue for volleyball matches as part of the next National Games. “The stadium at Varapuzha has been the dream of the public for years. The town has produced its share of legendary volleyball players, including T D Joseph who is also known as FACT Pappan. The stadium is being named after him to honour the legend. The work on the stadium is expected to be completed within the one-and-a-half years,” Satheesan said.
KITCO has been entrusted as the implementing agency. The stadium is being constructed in 65 cents of land owned by the Varapuzha panchayat. Separate dressing rooms for male and female players, office room and toilets will also be constructed. “LED lights will be installed and solar energy will be used for lighting purpose. Apart from hosting state as well as national games, the panchayat can rent out the stadium for other purposes which will be an extra source of income,” the MLA said.
Vacation coaching classes will be provided for students. “Several sporting activities are being held at various locales in between Varapuzha and Paravoor. However, paucity of space has always been a problem. More coaches will be roped in to train children in games such as volleyball,” officials involved with the project said.
The National Games Secretariat will be responsible for the technical implementation of the project.