KOCHI: Sandwiched between Kolenchery, Muvattupuzha and Piravom in Ernakulam lie a quaint little village called Ramamangalam, which has been selected to be India’s first sports tourism village. Sports and Management Research Institute (SMRI) is working with Ave Stella Maris College and the people of Ramamangalam to make the project become a reality. According to Sijin B T, director, SMRI, the concept of a sports tourism village was mooted at the Ramamangalam sustainable development discussions initiated by Ave Stella Maris College, Kizhumuri.
“One of the talking points was the development of sports. The college had approached MRI for management support. But the discussions ended with the idea of making Ramamangalam the first sports tourism village in India,” he said.
“The idea is to make Ramamangalam a low-carbon sporting and tourism destination by piecing together community sports hubs,” he said. According to him, the project also aims at community development. “It will benefit the residents a lot. There will be the generation of employment and opportunity to start small businesses associated with tourism and sports,” he added.
Sijin said that it is a low investment project planned in a nature-friendly manner. “This project goes hand in hand with the conservation of ecology and heritage,” he said. Other goals work towards imparting physical, intellectual and emotional fitness to the entire community, he added. The stakeholders of the project are Ramangalam grama panchayat and LSGs, Ave Stella Maris College. SMRI. local clubs, MPs, MLAs, DTPC, Department of Sports and the residents