KOCHI: 45 cents by the side of the national highway in Kochi would qualify as prime property by any yardstick. Options would appear aplenty for a profitable venture. What does the owner do? Begins a cricket academy. With indoor practice facilities. While the decision would appear strange to many, the name of the centre – AKME – reveals the emotional connect.
Parvathy, the property owner, and husband Vivek Anand were determined that whatever they do with the land at their disposal should be in keeping with her late father's humanitarian interests. And AKME SpoArts was born, in memory of A K Muralidharan Elayadom, a businessman, who passed away in 2005 in a road accident.
"He was into a lot of social activities. In tune with his spirit, we wanted to do something that would be useful for others too," Parvathy told TNIE.Revenue was not a priority for the couple as they sat down to finalise the details of the centre, drawn by their common interests in design and construction. "The adjacent plot was sold for Rs 50 lakh per cent. But we are not doing this to make money," said Vivek, a violinist and playback singer.
Why cricket? "That's my passion," the husband said. "When I suggested the idea of a cricket training facility, Parvathy was supportive as it would offer a chance for children to channel their energy in a productive way."
Space for cricketers to relax and enjoy
Built at a cost of Rs 87 lakh, the indoor ‘nets’ has three wickets with sufficient space for bowlers’ run-up. Flood lights enable night sessions while the artificial turf imported from New Zealand and laid on a cement base affords an even bounce. “This is a space for cricketers where they can enjoy their training sessions and feel relaxed as well. The play area has been designed according to the specifications of the indoor cricket federation. I visited many facilities overseas to identify what we needed to do here,” Vivek said.
“We also wanted parents accompanying children to feel relaxed while spending time here,” said Parvathy. They have brought in former Kerala cricketer and coach P Balachandran as the chief coach, assisted by former Kerala captain Sony Cheruvathoor and his teammate C Sanju. “We now have 16 regular trainees and enquiries keep coming in,” said Vivek. With the Covid protocol in place, they have capped the number of trainees per batch to 21, at seven players at each net.
“We are conducting two sessions three days a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday -- between 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm. Once, the pandemic situation clears up, we plan to turn AKME into a full-fledged academy,” he said. The facility was inaugurated on September 11 by former India fast bowler and the current Kerala coach Tinu Yohannan. The centre is attracting plenty of cricket enthusiasts who book hourly sessions every morning and evening.