KOCHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The Kerala Football Association (KFA) which approached the current owners of Greenfield International Stadium in the state capital - IL & FS - has got the shock of their life. The owners of the much-talked about stadium, which was built on the land leased out by the government for Re 1 per year, is now demanding daily charge of over Rs 34 lakh for the first ever football match scheduled at the venue!
Now, the Football Association has approached the state government after the stadium authorities asked for the exorbitant fee to use the venue for the FIFA World Cup qualifier between India and Guam slated for November 12. KFA secretary P Anilkumar said the association had written to the representative of the IL & FS, and the response was shocking.
“The Greenfield Stadium authorities have demanded a fee of Rs 34,30,000 per day, which is unheard of for any stadium in the country. Even the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata can be rented at Rs 8 lakh. The situation is such that the India-Guam match will have to be shifted outside Kerala. We have also submitted a memorandum to the Sports Minister,” said Anilkumar.
The KFA is also worried about the SAFF Championship slated to be held in Thiruvananthapuram in December-January. Interestingly, the Greenfield Stadium was made available for free for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 35th National Games earlier this year.
When contacted by Express, K M Muthanna, project manager for IL&FS, would not deny the amount, but said he could not divulge anything about the numbers involved. “A team from the All India Football Federation had come down to inspect the stadium, and before we hear from them, I do not think we have to comment on the matter,” Muthanna said.
Later, prompted by an apparently rattled management, he called up to say that “the amount that was forwarded to the KFA was an estimate for a package, which included charges like stadium rent, housekeeping, additional power and security for players, officials and visitors”.
However, the KFA secretary said the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi, which has already been allotted for ISL during the period, costs KFA just Rs 5 lakh, including flood lights. Meanwhile, Sports Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said he had received the petition from the Kerala Football Association and is looking into the matter.