THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The volleyball team of the Central Prison, Poojappura, will get a new look soon. The team will have a professional appearance with its members wearing a jersey of their own. The name of the Prison would be written on the jerseys.
The team, formed a few years ago, did not have a uniform and they appeared in matches without adhering to the professional dress code. “NIMS Hospital, Neyyattinkara, will sponsor the jerseys as was announced by its managing director Dr Faisal at a function held in the Prison recently,” said Superintendent of Central Prison B Pradeep.
The team, comprising inmates of the Prison interested in sports, practises almost every day under prison warden Jayakumar. Though some members of the team were shifted to Nettukaltheri Open Prison or released, it did not affect its structure as new members were recruited.
The team has matches every now and then and the last one was with the Malankara Seminary, Nalanchira. The match was held on the Prison compound and the Prison team emerged winners.
Along with the jerseys, the NIMS Hospital will also sponsor stretchers, which would be of great help to the inmates of the Prison. At present, if an inmate is seriously ill, other inmates have to carry him on their back or in chairs from the prison compound to outside.
“There are around 1,000 inmates in the Prison. The stretchers would be of great help in times of hospital emergencies,” said Pradeep. The Prison would also get a new television through the hospital’s sponsorship. It would be installed at the block for physically handicapped inmates.