KOCHI: Kerala will host India’s first-ever ‘Sports League’ centered around colleges in the state, in an initiative that aims to revolutionise campus sports. The first season of College Sports League-Kerala (CSL-K), organised by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and Sports Kerala Foundation will be inaugurated on Friday, July 18.
Modelled like popular collegiate sports leagues in countries like the US, specific league competitions will be held for sports like football and volleyball in the inaugural season, with more games like cricket, basketball and kabaddi being added in the coming years.
“It came to our notice that students tend to move away from sports at a high rate after they graduate from schools. Through CSL-K, we aim to develop a competitive and interesting sports environment in colleges, an environment in which more and more students will be drawn to sports. We have constituted specific sports councils in almost all colleges which will take the charge of conducting the league in their campuses,” said Sports Minister V Abdurahiman.
“Through active college leagues, students will get direct exposure to the professional ecosystem of sports more easily. Right now, we have professional events like ISL, IPL and more in several states across the country. It will also help promote sports as a career opportunity,” he said.
The inaugural season’s events will kick off with football league competitions at Calicut University campus from July 17 to 26, featuring 60 teams from all UGC-approved colleges in the state. The teams have been selected on the basis of criteria including previous performance and team strength. The volleyball league will take place on the MG University campus next month.
“We expect that once we launch the initiative, people will get captivated by the system. We aim to give the country a strong team at least by the 2036 Olympics. The project is being implemented using Rs 60 lakh set aside for college sports. We expect it to become self-sufficient financially in the coming years. A lot of companies like Decathlon besides several banks have already approached us for sponsorships and endorsements,” Abdurahiman said.
Three-tier format from next year
From next year, the authorities aim to conduct CSL-K in three- tier format: a district-level league that will have 168 matches featuring top teams from 14 districts, zonal-level league that will have 48 matches involving district champions and wild card entries, and state-level league with knockout rounds leading to the grand finale that decides the league champions.
“Sports councils constituted in each college will govern the entire system, including managing and marketing the teams. The student-led councils will run the league and ensure the events garner a huge fan base on the campuses itself, which is where the energy of the sports lies,” said Vishnuraj P IAS, director of the directorate of sports and youth affairs.
“The event will help develop a culture of student celebrities and brand them across the state, while also boosting sports nutrition, sports medicine, sports psychology and sports economy in the state. Students will receive incentives like stipends, performance bonuses and scholarships. The move will increase the visibility of sports in our campuses,” he said.