THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A sports league exclusively for college students is on the anvil. To be launched by the Departments of Higher Education and Sports, the college league is aimed at nurturing a sports culture in the state and developing the necessary infrastructure in colleges.
In the first phase, the college league will include football, cricket, volleyball, and kabaddi. More sports will be added in due course. Sports clubs will be launched in all colleges as part of this initiative, Higher Education Minister R Bindu and Sports Minister V Abdurahiman said at a joint press conference here on Thursday.
Colleges in the state will be divided into four zones ahead of the sports league that would span three to six months. District-level committees will be formed to coordinate the sports clubs. The district-level panels will be overseen by a state-level technical committee, the ministers said.
A state-level governing committee will also be set up with the chief minister as the chairperson. It will also consist of the ministers for higher education and sports, vice-chancellors and officials. Modelled on professional leagues, the college league will be held as ‘home’ and ‘away’ competitions The teams for the college league will be selected by the district-level panels. The top four teams from each of the four zones will compete at the state level.
As per the schedule, 16 teams will compete at the state level in each sport. Experts from professional leagues and professional players will monitor the event, the ministers added. The college league will be designed in such a manner that the sports clubs will be able to generate income, thereby enabling colleges to attain self-sufficiency. The college league will also open doors for the best sportspersons to professional leagues, the ministers said.
College League
To include football, cricket, volleyball, and kabaddi in initial phase
Sports clubs to be launched in colleges in the run up to college league
Colleges to be divided into four zones; three committees to be formed
Top four teams from each zone will be eligible to compete at state level