THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Setting up a football academy for women is under consideration of the state Government, Minister for Industries, Sports and Youth Affairs E P Jayarajan said on Friday while launching works of over Rs 15 crore to upgrade the infrastructure at the GV Raja Sports School campus at Aruvikkara near here.
Emphasising the importance of G V Raja Sports School in the sports map of Kerala, Jayarajan said the project will be completed in an year, fully equipping the institution to meet the present and future requirements like hosting high-profile events and imparting world class training to budding talents..
“Plans are also on the anvil to set up a women football academy in the state,” he said.
“The sports directorate has been given the instruction to complete the projects on time. The Government has given administrative sanction of Rs 6.38 crore for the synthetic track, Rs 4.65 crore to the hockey turf and Rs 4.33 crore for the football turf,” the minister said .The material for hockey turf is being imported from France and those for the synthetic track will be brought from Germany, he said.
Noting that sports development is a major priority, he said the government has implemented a project to provide jobs for sportspersons who win gold medals in national and international competitions. On the preparations for Olympics, Jayarajan said that the government is mulling for enlisting the services of foreign coaches under the “Operation Olympia” project. “
A synthetic track of international standards, a synthetic hockey turf and building a synthetic football turf on the campus are the major works being underaken.K S Sabarinathan,MLA, presided over the function and Dr A Sampath, MP, was the chief guest. Sanjayan Kumar, Director of Sports and Youth Affairs, welcomed the gathering.
T.P. Dasan, President, Kerala State Sports Council; Maya Devi, Member, District Panchayat; and Rajendran, Head Master, G.V. Raja School, were also present. Murugadas. T, Principal, G.V. Raja Sports School, proposed a vote of thanks.
The institution was set up in memory of Lt Col P R Godha Varma Raja, who pioneered promotion of modern sports in the state. The Committee on Sports and Youth Affairs of the Kerala Legislative Assembly had in its reports stressed the need to improve the quality of facilities at the G V Raja Sports Schools. The recommendations of the panel have been enshrined in the Government’s Sports Policy. The Sports Engineering wing of Department of Sports and Youth Affairs (DSYA) has drawn up a meticulous action plan to achieve the stated objectives.
