Sprinting Forward
V. Abdurahiman
Minister for Sports, Wakf and Haj Pilgrimage,
Minority Welfare
Kerala’s sports sector is witnessing rapid growth through the development of infrastructure and the introduction of modern facilities. Efforts are being made to give maximum support to all athletes while fostering national and international collaboration. The Kerala Sports Policy, formulated in 2023, is rooted in the principles of inclusive participation, school-level development, nurturing brilliant athletes and fostering a robust sports economy.
Kerala also holds the distinction of being the first Indian state to organise an international sports summit. Representatives from eight countries participated in the event held at Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, where investment commitments totalling Rs. 5,050 crore were made. The policy outlines a visionary initiative called the Sports Economy Mission. As part of systemic reforms, Sports Councils were restructured and the Sports Act of 2000 was amended.
Infrastructure Development
Infrastructure projects worth Rs. 3,500 crore are currently underway across the state. The Wayanad District Stadium has been completed, and similar projects are in progress in 10 other districts. A total of 354 stadiums and sports grounds have either been completed or are under construction. Twenty-four sports complexes have been finalised. Major upgrades include Rs. 30 crore worth of development at G.V. Raja Sports School and Rs. 10 crore each in the Kannur and Kunnamkulam sports divisions. Three new hostels are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 10 crore. Synthetic tracks have been laid at G.V. Raja and in Thrissur. Construction of the Kayika Bhavan, the department headquarters, is in progress at Vanross Junction, Thiruvananthapuram. The Sports Kerala Foundation was established to oversee infrastructure development and stadium maintenance.
International Collaboration
A football and hockey training initiative was launched in collaboration with the Netherlands. MoU was signed with Victoria University, Australia. A football academy has been established at G.V. Raja Sports School in partnership with the leading football club AC Milan. Agreements were also signed with Cuba, bringing in coaches for athletics, judo, volleyball and boxing. Additional collaborations were made with the Argentine Football Association and the Sports Council of Spain.
Kerala successfully hosted FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches in Kochi. International Sports Expos were held in 2018 and 2019. The Che International Chess Festival was conducted as part of the sports cooperation with Cuba.
One Panchayat, One Playground
Kerala holds the distinction of being the first Indian state to organise an international sports summit. Investment commitments totalling Rs. 5,050 crore were made in the summit
One Panchayat, One Playground
This initiative aims to ensure that every panchayat has access to a quality playground. In the first phase, work began in 124 panchayats—four playgrounds have been completed, and construction is ongoing in 65 locations. For the first time, Sports Councils have been established at the Corporation, Municipality and Panchayat levels.
Embracing Innovation
An e-certificate system has been introduced to prevent the misuse of fake credentials in sports. Biomechanics is now being used for talent selection in sports schools. Rs. 2 crore has been sanctioned for preliminary work toward establishing a sports institute at Calicut University. E-sports hubs are being set up across the state. The G.V. Raja and Kannur sports schools are now directly managed by the Sports Department, with admissions starting from class 6
Sports Training Initiatives
The ‘Goal’ project was launched to provide football training to five lakh children over five years. One lakh children have already received training at 1,000 centres. Training programmes such as Sprint (athletics), Judoko (judo), Punch (boxing) and Hoops (basketball) are operational.A shooting academy has been established at Vattiyoorkavu, and a tennis academy at Kumarapuram, both in Thiruvananthapuram. A sports division was started in Kunnamkulam, Thrissur, enrolling 30 students each from classes 7 and 8. Among the three football academies established in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Ernakulam, two cater exclusively to girls.
A football academy has been established at G.V. Raja Sports School in partnership with AC Milan.
One School, One Game
T he government has introduced this scheme in selected aided schools, providing sports equipment for one designated sport per school. In the first phase, 80 schools were included. ‘The Healthy Kids project’, aimed at improving the physical and mental well-being of primary school students, was expanded to 30 additional schools.
Honouring Athletes
Hockey player Sreejesh, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, received Rs. 2 crore and a promotion in his government job. Commonwealth Games medalists Eldhose Paul, Abdullah Abubacker, Sree Shankar and Tresa Jolly have been promised government employment. The government built a house for Olympic medalist Manuel Frederick. KP Rahul, a member of the Santosh Trophy-winning team, received a Rs. 15 lakh house and a clerk position in the Education Department. Footballer Aryashree was allotted Rs. 10 lakh for housing and V. Sheena, National Games triple jump gold medalist, received Rs. 18 lakh. T he pension for disabled athletes was increased to Rs. 1,600 and the annual family income limit raised to Rs. 1 lakh. Twenty-six disabled circus artists were included in this scheme. During the COVID-19 pandemic, sports nutrition kits were distributed to 1,750 children
Sports Quota Appointments
A record 960 athletes have been appointed under the sports quota over the past nine years. The previous LDF government appointed 580 athletes. This government appointed an additional 65 athletes from the 2010–14 rank list. From 2017–23, 168 were appointed to the police force and 61 to the KSEB under the sports quota. Eleven members of the Santosh Trophy-winning team, previously unemployed, were appointed as LDCs in the Education Department. The government fulfilled a prior commitment to appoint 83 team-event medalists from the National Games into government service. A decision has also been taken in principle to reserve one percent of PSC appointments for athletes.
Minority Welfare
Career guidance and training programmes have been launched for students. In the current year, 710 new beneficiaries were approved for the Widow Housing Renovation Scheme. A total of 515 houses were completed under the spillover category. Rs. 50 lakhs were spent on Pathway Social Life Wellness Programme.
Scholarships for 2024–25
◆ APJ Abdul Kalam Scholarship (Polytechnic Diploma): Rs. 40.62 lakh for 677 students ◆ C.H. Muhammad Koya Scholarship (UG, PG, Professional): Rs. 7.46 crore for 9,022 students ◆ Private ITI/ITC Fee Reimbursement: Rs. 3.96 crore for 3,943 students ◆ Skill Training Programme: Rs. 90 lakh ◆ CA, CMA, CS Scholarship: Rs. 57.67 lakh for 384 students ◆ UGC, CSIR, NET Coaching: Rs. 9 lakh for 550 students ◆ Premier Institution Scholarship (IIT, IIM, IIMC, IMSC): Rs. 18 lakh for 36 students ◆ Mother Teresa Scholarship (Nursing/Paramedical): Rs. 60.78 lakh for 402 students ◆ Prof. Joseph Mundassery Scholarship: Rs. 5.24 crore for 4,815 students ◆ Civil Services Preparation: Rs. 5.55 lakh for 33 students ◆ Foreign University Scholarship: Rs. 1.70 crore allocated, Rs. 1.44 crore disbursed to 30 students ◆ Ibrahim Sulaiman Setu Urdu Scholarship: Rs. 3.84 lakh for 384 students ◆ Margadeepam Scholarship: Rs. 18.25 crore for 1,21,667 students
The Samanayam scheme aims to provide employment to one lakh educated youth from minority communities. Registration drives are ongoing. Under the PMJVK scheme, 37 projects worth Rs. 49 crore have been completed. Training programmes are being offered to help minority youth enter government services. Currently, 24 training centres and 27 sub-centres are operational.T he Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation is running over 15 loan schemes. The government guarantee has been raised from Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 100 crore and loan amounts have quadrupled. Efforts are ongoing to recover encroached waqf properties, with 245 new assets reclaimed.
A record 960 athletes have been appointed under the sports quota over the past nine years.
Hajj Pilgrimage
A new embarkation point has been established in Kannur. Over the past two years, Rs. 1 crore has been allocated in the state budget for Hajj pilgrimage. A women’s block has been built near the Hajj House in Kozhikode at a cost of Rs. 8.2 crore. Plans are underway for a Hajj House in Kannur. Madrasa teachers enrolled in the welfare fund receive between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 7,500 upon reaching the age of 60. Disabled pensioners are granted Rs. 1,000 per month.