Revoke Rs 300 fee for using VOC Ground, sportspeople urge Kovai corporation
COIMBATORE : Sportspeople visiting VOC Ground near Nehru Stadium appealed to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to revoke its decision of charging Rs 300 as a monthly fee for each player who uses the ground.
Demanding to withdraw the decision, athletes claimed the charging of fee would discourage players from engaging in sports activities on the ground.
M Selvaraj, a member of the VOC Indoor Ground, said, “VOC ground is a part of the Nehru Stadium. It has been running well for over 50 years. The ground which consists of basketball court, volleyball, badminton etc are used by sportspeople for developing their career. Many people have won medals from the sports ground. Differently abled persons, retired people as well as many poor school children with future dreams benefit by the ground. Meanwhile, the decision of charging a monthly fee would deter many sports players from participating in games.”
S Suresh, a basketball player, said, “I have been playing in the basketball ground for more than a decade. Like me, many players are visiting the ground and improving their sports skills. The decision of charging a monthly fee would discourage and prevent players from continuing their participation in sports.”
Sources say around 477 players are members in various sports activities which are held in the ground. An official from CCMC said, “A nominal fee has been fixed by the corporation to develop sports activities further. The decision was taken at the council meeting held in December 2023. As per the present membership, a revenue of around Rs 8.50 lakh could be generated from the ground. Of this, half will be shared for sports coaches in the ground and the remaining sum would be taken by the CCMC for ground development purposes.”