It’s a grand structure that stands tall in north Kalamassery, with its distinctive sloping-roof adding to the intrigue. But as one steps into the 1.5-acre compound, the initial charm quickly fades.
Creepers have quietly claimed corners of the building, grass grows wild, and cobwebs cling to the window sills — making it appear as though the place has been abandoned for years. It resembles a ghost bungalow.
We are talking about the Kalamassery Municipal Indoor Stadium and Multipurpose Hall, which was shut down soon after its inauguration five years ago. Why? That remains a mystery to most local residents.
Nearly nine years ago, the project was launched with the aim of promoting indoor sports such as volleyball, badminton, and basketball. It was an ambitious initiative, developed at a reported cost of Rs 4.8 crore — Rs 3 crore funded by the municipality, and the rest through a grant from the Central Finance Commission.
“The land is owned by the municipality. In 1998, the area was meant to be used as an industrial estate as part of a state government project. However, the plan never took off,” says former Kalamassery municipal chairperson Jamal Manakkadan.
“Later, other proposals like building a fish market came through, but the local residents opposed the idea. With the land lying unused, the idea of a stadium was mooted.”
The plan was to promote the sports culture, host competitions and put the barren land into good use, Jamal notes. “The foundation stone for the stadium was laid in 2014 by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy,” he adds.
“There were initial delays due to operational hurdles. Later, the 2018 floods stalled construction for over a year. Finally, it was inaugurated by then Sports Minister A C Moideen in 2020. Then, there were delays in getting electricity supply from KSEB.”
Despite the delays, Kalamassery residents were buoyed. The locality, after all, was now home to a prime sports complex. The excitement, however, was short-lived — the building was never opened to the public.
‘Like a godown now’
Five years have since passed. According to nearby residents, the compound has now turned into a dumping yard. Some of them point out that the municipality uses the building to store waste bins.
“As the space is unused, creepers and wild grass grow rapidly. It has essentially become a godown,” says local councillor Hajira Usman.
“The premises are also used to dump leftover road-tarring materials. The municipality should open the stadium to the public and appoint a caretaker to manage the space.”
Today, anyone can walk into the compound freely as the entrance gate is never locked. “The lock broke some time ago. The only form of security now is the stadium’s shutter,” says Hajira.
Residents fear that the space could become a haven for antisocial activities. “Fortunately, since this is a close-knit residential area, people keep an eye on the place,” says Resiya Beegum, a homemaker. “It’s an ideal space for jogging or walking. But the overgrown grass makes it difficult.”
Ammu N P, secretary of the residents’ association, recalls that the space was earlier well-utilised by the local community — “children played football or cricket and some residents turned parts of it into a walking area”.
“With the construction of the stadium,” he laments, “the children lost one of the only open spaces they had to play in the area.”
‘It is a mockery’
What frustrates the residents here is that the authorities concerned have not offered a definite explanation as to why the sports complex has not been opened to the public.
“We had proposed plans so that the premises at least could be put to better use. We suggested setting up a park, football field, and walkway, but none of these ideas was taken forward,” says Ammu.
Some residents believe the sporting facilities within the building are of sub-par standards. “After evaluating the space, experts opined that the infrastructure for games like volleyball, basketball, and tennis did not meet standard specifications,” says George John, president of the residents’ association.
Veteran sports journalist and writer A N Raveendra Das slams the official apathy. “Right now, the city has hardly any accessible play areas. Time and again, the government claims that they have developed stadiums and playgrounds at the panchayat and municipal levels. But the question is — are these facilities actually available to the public?” he asks.
“The Kalamassery stadium is a classic example of how little priority is given to sports development. It’s a mockery. It’s not just the municipality’s responsibility; the sports department and sports council also share equal accountability in this matter.”
Official take
Well, as hinted in the beginning, it’s a mystery. No one seems to have a clear explanation.
“When construction was completed, the residents demanded the rest of the vacant area near the premises to be converted into a park and a space for them to play football,” says Jamal.
“We included this under the Central government’s AMRUT 2.0 scheme, and Rs 84 lakh park was considered. We also received administrative sanction — what remains is to finalise the work estimate and go for tender.”
An official, requesting anonymity, says that had the residents not put forth such a demand, the stadium would have opened much earlier.
Muhammed Shaji, a resident, will not buy that argument.
“We never opposed the stadium’s opening. The idea was to make a walkway on both sides. And to develop a football field, which is essential for children. How would that hamper the indoor stadium’s functioning?” he asks.
Kalamassery municipal chairperson Seema Kannan maintains that “some work is still pending with the stadium”.
“Once that is completed, a discussion with the finance committee will be held to finalise a date for its opening,” she says.
Subsequent calls for clarifications regarding the “pending works” went unattended.
Industries Minister P Rajeeve, who is the local MLA, attributes the mess to the “municipality’s carelessness”.
“While the original plan was to build an indoor stadium, the final structure could not serve that purpose,” he says. “At this point, nothing can be done. We have asked the municipality to open the space to the public, and consider alternative ways to utilise the space. The Sports Kerala Foundation has also been alerted to explore other possible uses for the facility.”