KOCHI: The long-awaited grant of Rs 25 lakh announced by the government to the Viva Kerala football club when it qualified for the `I-League’ - the senior division national football league - in the 2007- 08 season was finally handed over to the club in Kochi on Thursday.
The club, which has been facing financial difficulties, had to wait for around two years to receive the amount.
In the interim period, Viva was demoted to the II-league in the 2008-09 season and had fought back to qualify for the I-League again this year.
The team is in the process of recruiting new players to take on the big shots of Indian football in the 2009-10 season.
“The award is a just and timely reward for the hard work put in by the club to fight back to reach the top level”, said club director Liaquath Ali.
While handing over the award to Viva, chairman P Bhaskaran, Liaquath Ali and Sports Minister M Vijayakumar said that the government had called a highlevel meeting, involving representatives from the Sports Department, the Kerala Football Association, the Kerala State Sports Council and football experts, to analyse the reasons for the State’s early exit from the Santosh Trophy football championship which is currently in progress in Chennai.
The Viva officials are hopeful of the club finding the right spons
Sports Minister M Vijayakumar presenting the cash prize of Rs 25 lakh to the officials of the Viva Kerala Football Club at a function in on Thursday. Sports and Youth Affairs director G Kishore, Kerala Sports Council president T P Dasan and former sports minister Dominic Presentation are also seen.
ors to further its aim of claiming the ILeague title within the next four years. MLA Dominic Presentation, KSSC president T P Dasan, Sports and Youth Affairs Director G Kishor, KFA president K M I Mather and KSSC secretary T P Antony, apart from former football stars O Chandrasekharan and C C Jacob, attended the function.