No football, so Kozhikode's popular ground to host bike racing. Everything under control, custodians claim

Kozhikode: The EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode, the epicentre of football fervour in Malabar, is set to host a major motorsport event - the Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) today. But what will that do to the ground, which hosts major football tournaments such as the Santosh Trophy, I-League and Super League Kerala?

The city Corporation that owns the venue, and the Kozhikode District Football Association (KDFA), which manages it, seem convinced that the playing surface will be restored to its original state within about two weeks. KDFA secretary Shajesh Kumar said expert consultation was sought well in advance and that the track was laid under the supervision of US-based experts.

Shajesh said around 50,000 square feet of playing surface was covered using sheets; a layer of plywood was placed over it before soil was spread evenly to create the track. He, however, acknowledged that covering the grass for an extended period would damage the surface due to a lack of sunlight, as it will take around 10 days for the temporary structures to be removed.

"The expert team has agreed to restore the turf fully. Once the plywood and sheets are removed, the grass will be exposed to sunlight, watered and closely monitored. Nutrients will help restore the green texture, and within two days, the grass layer is expected to return to normal," Shajesh said.

Wait and watch
The groundwork for the event began when the city Corporation was in transition following the Local Body Elections. The city went to the polls on December 11, and the results were declared two days later, with the CPM-led LDF retaining control of the Corporation, but without a clear majority.

The football ground underwent a makeover during this period. C K Jamsheer, a member of the Sports and Education Standing Committee in the previous council, declined to comment, claiming it was a matter for the freshly elected council to address.

"The Corporation Council accorded approval much earlier. The KDFA and KFA, which maintain the stadium, are cooperating with the organisers. We were informed that the pitch will be restored to its original condition after the event," said the secretary of the Kozhikode Corporation.

In between, the final of the Super League Kerala, initially scheduled for December 14, was moved from the Corporation Stadium to the Jawahar Municipal Stadium in Kannur. The KFA's plan to host the Santosh Trophy in Kozhikode also fell through, as Assam claimed the hosting rights. As a result, the venue will not be hosting football events for a few weeks at least.

Meanwhile, Shajesh remains confident that the ground will be ready for football in the New Year. "We were worried at first, but similar events were successfully conducted in Hyderabad and other cities, where the grass was restored to its original condition after the races. That gave us the confidence to allow the stadium to be used for this event," said Shajesh. "Since the pitch will not be permanently damaged, there was no reason to block another major sporting event, especially one that could attract a large number of spectators,” he said.

What is ISRL?
The Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) is a franchise-based Supercross racing league, run in the IPL format. The championship is organised by SXI and Bandidose Motorsports.

The league features six franchise teams and 36 riders competing for the title across multiple categories. The final round will include races in the 450cc International, 250cc International and 250cc India–Asia Mix categories.

The participating teams are BBRacing, Gujarat Trailblazers, BigRock Motorsports SX, Reise TorqRacers, Apollo Indewheelers and Tricolor KTM. After the first two rounds held in Pune and Hyderabad, the Gujarat Trailblazers are currently leading the points table. Kozhikode is hosting the grand finale of the second season, which is scheduled to begin at 6 pm.