Kerala acts swiftly after Messi snub by announcing FIFA-standard stadium

The Kerala government appears keen to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment it faced last year after the Argentina national team and football icon Lionel Messi did not visit the state due to the absence of a FIFA-standard football stadium. The issue, which drew widespread criticism, seems to have prompted swift corrective action in the very next Budget.

Presenting the state's 77th Budget, Finance Minister K N Balagopal announced that a FIFA-standard football stadium will be constructed in the Kannur district as part of a plan to develop an integrated international sports hub. An FIH-standard hockey stadium is also part of the project. The government has earmarked ₹10 crore for preliminary activities.

The lack of a FIFA-compliant stadium had come under sharp focus in connection with the state government's ambitious move to bring Messi-led Argentina for a friendly match and other promotional activities in Kerala last November. Sports Minister V Abdurahiman and a private sponsor repeatedly said that Messi would arrive in the state, raising public expectations.

At the time, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, which hosted matches during the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017, was the only venue considered capable of hosting an international fixture of that scale. The Greenfield Stadium at Karyavattom in Thiruvananthapuram was the first venue suggested by the state, but it was dropped due to the presence of cricket pitches. Once the plan to bring Messi failed, Minister Abdurahiman and the sponsor claimed that they could not secure FIFA's approval for the Kochi venue on time.

The announcement of a project to construct a FIFA-standard stadium, coming just months after missing out on Messi, could be seen as an attempt by the government to address the criticism it faced.

Other sports infrastructure projects
Finance Minister Balagopal said that sports is among the government's high-priority sectors. Reflecting this focus, the Sports and Youth Affairs sector has received a 51.90 per cent increase in allocation in the Budget, with the outlay rising to ₹220.86 crore.

The government has set aside ₹28 crore to continue its flagship 'One Panchayat, One Playground' scheme, while ₹30.50 crore has been earmarked for the construction of new sports facilities across the state. In addition, ₹17 crore has been allocated for the development of sports academies at the district, college and school levels.

An amount of ₹12 crore has been earmarked for projects under the Kerala State Sports Council, aimed at promoting a sports culture at the grassroots level. To upgrade sports infrastructure at Thalassery Brennen College, ₹2 crore has also been allotted.

Other projects:
₹15 crore to the Sports Development Fund
₹45.60 crore for various activities of the Kerala State Sports Council
₹6.90 crore for the project 'Leveraging Sports Science and Technology', which aims to provide scientific support and modern medical assistance to athletes
A new scheme to promote sports programmes for the differently abled and to organise Paralympic events, for which ₹1 crore has been set aside.
₹17 crore has been earmarked for the G V Raja Sports School, Thiruvananthapuram, and the Kannur Sports Division.
An allocation of ₹7.50 crore has also been made for initiatives to transform the Thrissur Sports Division of Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Kunnamkulam, into a fully residential sports school and a centre of excellence.