Kerala’s Greenfield Stadium to be country’s first international sports hub

International football matches will soon be played in the country, or to be precise, in God’s own country, Kerala. This dream will be realized with the launch of the country’s first sports hub at Greenfield Stadium in Kariavattom, a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram.

The sports hub is meant to host multiple events under one umbrella, which not only encourages sports and games but also promotes sports tourism in the country, especially in Kerala. Here are 8 reasons to be happy about the new hub:

Games and events

Built on a 37-acre property, the stadium will have a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators. As a sports hub, Greenfield will have a world-class coaching centre for various indoor and outdoor games.

Apart from sports events, the stadium will also host entertainment programmes all year round.

Anil Kumble is behind the project

A sports academy headed by cricketer Anil Kumble is behind this initiative. The academy will oversee all hub activities.

Cricket and football

The ground is designed for international cricket and football games. There will be separate pavilions for both the games, along with players’ lounges, a gymnasium and a media centre.

Two India matches in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers will be played here. Apart from that, the stadium may also host some Indian Super League (ISL) matches.

Facilities

The stadium will have a gymnasium and spa, a clubhouse with five star facilities, a tennis court, an Olympic size swimming pool, an open convention cum trade cum exhibition centre, retail outlets, food courts and club facilities. There will be an open parking space for 2000 cars.

Corporate boxes

To promote the sports tourism, the stadium will also house corporate boxes. Companies can buy the boxes to seat their representatives and guests at sports events. Currently, there are 30 corporate boxes in the stadium.

Name to be auctioned

The Greenfield International stadium will be rechristened soon. The new name will be bought by auction, and the winner will have the right to rename it after their brand. Currently, Qatar Airways, Oman Air and Emirates airlines are in the fray.

Sports institute

A sports event management institute will soon be inaugurated in the stadium. An Australian company is opening this institute, which is a part of an agreement with the Australian government.

Sports tourism

Sports events in the stadium will be promoted among tourists. They can also play friendly matches in the stadium and interact with sportspersons.

This multi-purpose stadium is being constructed at a cost of Rs 260 crores by Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) Ltd. and  the Government of Kerala. It is the first DBOT (design, build, operate and transfer) model outdoor stadium to be built in the country.