Big claims, no gains: LDF's ₹5,025 crore investment hype from Kerala Sports Summit exposed

Thiruvananthapuram: The International Sports Summit Kerala (ISSK), organised by the LDF government in 2024 with promises of attracting thousands of crores in investment and creating 10,000 jobs, has apparently failed to deliver on the investment commitments the government claimed.

While the then Sports Minister V Abdurahiman had announced that investments worth ₹4,500 crore were secured for Kerala's sports sector through the summit organised by the Sports Department, official department records show that only promises of investment worth ₹5,025 crore were received.

However, organisations and sportspersons who participated in the summit have disputed the claims, stating that they received no such investment commitments.

According to the report, the figures were compiled by treating proposals submitted by sports academies seeking sponsorship and financial assistance as investment commitments. It said that even two and a half years after the summit, none of the claimed investments had materialised.

Kochi-based Lords Football Academy participated in the summit with a proposal for a sports city. The academy reportedly did not receive any investment commitment. However, government records claim that an investment of ₹650 crore was secured for the project.

Similarly, the Sports Department claimed that All Kerala Esports Federation Private Limited committed ₹250 crore in investment. Office-bearers of the federation, however, said no such promise was made.

Claims that ₹1,200 crore would be received through the Kerala Cricket Association and ₹800 crore through the Kerala Football Association are also being criticised. Critics have alleged that existing projects of the two organisations were repackaged and presented as investment proposals linked to the Sports Summit.

Former Indian football player C K Vineeth attended the summit seeking financial support for his proposed football complex. Arjuna Award winner Geethu Anna Jose also participated, seeking government assistance for a basketball academy.

The Sports Department's official records state that it received investment promises worth ₹300 crore each for Vineeth's football complex and Geethu's basketball academy. However, both said they received no such commitment.

The ISSK was held with the stated objective of transforming Kerala into a major sports hub by attracting private investment and creating employment opportunities. The government had projected the summit as a major initiative to develop sports infrastructure across the state.