THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The real investment in sports is not about erecting sky scrappers but channeling the resources, for the development of talented young buds, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said. He was inaugurating the closing ceremony of year-long diamond jubilee celebrations of Kerala Cricket Association here on Friday.
Oommen Chandy said that the government would never juggle with the fate of the proposed Edakochi cricket stadium, work for which had been suspended temporarily owing to environmental issues.
The then Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh during his tenure had taken strong exception to the stadium construction citing that it would affect the mangrove ecosystem. “Both the issues, issue of Kerala-based IPL team and the Edakochi stadium would be discussed with the authorities concerned,” the Chief Minister said.
Later in the evening, Vinoop S Manoharan, an all-rounder par excellence was awarded the cricketer of the year 2010-2011. Life-time achievement award was given to the senior all-rounder T K Madhav who has played 26 matches for the state. Fifteen players who had performed for the state from 1951 to 1961 were presented with endowments. A souvenir commemorating the diamond jubilee celebrations was released by veteran cricketer J K Mahendra.