KOCHI: Before the advent of smartphones and social media, one common sight during evenings or holidays was that of children playing football on grounds or, in fact, any open space available.
To bring back the lost days, and also as a part of the state government’s plans to strengthen drug-free activities, legislator K J Maxi has come up with a project to set up a football academy in West Kochi.
“The aim is to strengthen drug-free activities and make students involved in arts and sports activities,” says Maxi. Named ‘Queen of Arabian Sea Football Academy’, the centre will provide training to those above 10 years of age.
“The best female and male players will be trained and inducted into a team,” says the Kochi MLA. “It will be sort of a club for the Kochi constituency and coaches who have proved their competence at the national level will be roped in to train the budding players. The sessions will be from 6am to 7.30am every day at the Cochin College ground. The camp will start in the first week of December.”
Maxi believes the project would be implemented through sponsorship and social responsibility funds from various organisations. First round of enrollments will conclude on November 30, he adds.