Kerala wants to host Messi, but there isn't a 'football stadium'. Navas Meeran makes a suggestion

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Industrialist Navas Meeran, who is also the President of the Kerala Football Association, has urged the state government to lease out its unused land for stadium construction. He was addressing a panel discussion on 'Trending Business in Sports Sector' at the Malayala Manorama Sampadyam Business Summit 2025 in Kochi.
Meeran said that despite the government instructing panchayats to spend 5% of their own fund in the sports sector, that doesn't happen. "It is in this context that the PPP (public-private partnership) model becomes relevant. The government doesn't want to sell its land. Fine, don't sell. But can't that land be leased out for 25 years?" Meeran said.
He said Kerala does not have a single football-specific stadium. Meeran talked about 'rectangular stadiums' that host popular football clubs worldwide, giving fans a proper matchday experience due to their proximity to the action.
However, the only international-standard football venue in Kerala, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, is circular, with the field of play quite far from the spectators. Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters play their home matches at the Kochi stadium. The same venue is expected to host Lionel Messi and his Argentine football team in an ambitious event proposed by the state government.
Meeran said it was imperative to have world-class stadiums in Kerala. "I have said I will construct eight stadiums. I will definitely build them," he added. Meeran referred to Super League Kerala, a franchise-based league that debuted last year. "Super League Kerala's budget for last year was Rs 60 crore. It helped pay good salaries to several players. There is a lot of potential in Kerala." He urged the state government to implement a sports plan with a ten-year vision.