KOCHI: It was termed a game changer, the FIFA U-17 World Cup. A stimulus to awaken India from its footballing slumber and kick off a revolution of sorts. Though the game is expected to witness a definitive growth in the coming years, Kochi - one of six cities hosting the tournament - missed a golden opportunity to raise its infrastructure to international standards. In the city, the situation remains the same before the World Cup despite four new training grounds that have come up.
When hundreds of football lovers descended on the city on the big day, they were welcomed by roads with gaping potholes and cracked and chipped asphalt as well as pavements with broken slabs. Like in every case, the authorities have begun a blame game on the organisational lapses.It seems funds were not the issue. Instead, last-minute preparations, lack of planning and mismanagement played spoilsport. Former Kerala State Sports Council secretary Mohammed Ashraf rued Kochi missed a huge opportunity.
“New Delhi changed a lot after it hosted the first Asian Games,” he told Express. “In the case of Pune, it has become a sports city after organising the Commonwealth Youth Games. But in Kochi, we are witnessing an extravaganza with hardly any development.”“GCDA tried its level best to install facilities for the World Cup,” GCDA Chairman C N Mohanan said.
“We have retarred the roads and ring roads leading to the stadium. When we received the stadium after ISL matches, its condition was pathetic. We have set up a new sewage treatment plant, water station and renovated 187 toilets. Half of the floodlights in the stadium were dysfunctional and all these were repaired.”
FIFA has enforced renovation of infrastructure so that all facilities are compliant with the requirements. Among those were the installation of bucket seats, renovation of competition areas, media space, public areas and the VIP section. Besides, it also called for a revamp of the toilets, sewage system, water collection and the approach roads. The outer perimeter also needed to be made safer for the public.
“The main entrance to the stadium was filled with mud because of the disposal of quarry waste to avoid water-logging,” Ashraf said.
“Besides, the walls of Category I were filthy and they were not repainted. However, the VIP gallery witnessed a heavy rush for the five-course meal being served there. This could only be considered an extravagance as this kind of feast would not be served in any international event.”
Though the pathetic condition of the entrance was pointed out to the organisers, they have not concreted the area.
According to the Local Organising Committee members, the stadium was handed over to them by May this year after the ISL matches. They swung into action and completed the work as per the prescribed time. However, the authorities have no explanation for the pathetic condition of the city roads. The PWD was allotted Rs 17.70 crore for reconstruction, with officers conceding there was no shortage of funds.
Though PWD Minister G Sudhakaran had assured all the damaged roads and footpaths would be repaired by September 30, it failed to materialise. In the last-minute preparation, the PWD repaired the potholes and footpaths from M G Road to Kaloor by October 7, the opening day of the event. Many roads in and around the city continue to be in urgent need of repair.
The Central Government has sanctioned Rs 95 crore as assistance for states hosting the World Cup matches to develop infrastructure and also for overlays. As much as 70 per cent of the fund goes to states and 30 per cent for use on overlays. Apart from that, the government has sanctioned Rs 25 crore as a contingency fund in case there are unforeseen issues, said an officer with the Local Organising Committee. “The responsibility to get the infrastructure ready then falls on the respective state. States have also spent and invested, particularly in training sites. Kochi has spent Rs 12.5 crore for the stadium renovation plus Rs 13-14 crore for the practice venues,” he said.
The Central Government had sanctioned Rs 95 crore as assistance for states hosting the World Cup matches to develop infrastructure and also for overlays. As much as 70 per cent of the fund goes to states and 30 per cent for use on overlays