The Hindu : Sport : Kerala keen to host 2014 Asiad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 20, 2006
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Kerala keen to host 2014 Asiad

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Government will impress upon the Indian Olympic Association to allot the 2014 Asian Games to Kerala if the Indian bid for the event found favour with the majority of the Olympic Council of Asia.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Sunday, the Sports Minister, M. Vijayakumar, said Kerala would have sufficient infrastructure to host the prestigious continental event by 2009 itself. The State has also bid to get the right to host the next National Games as well and the Government would pursue the matter in the coming months, he said.

Mr. Vijayakumar said plans were afoot to reconstitute the District Sports Council soon. "We are also planning to constitute panchayat-level committees across the State so as to decentralise the functioning of the Kerala Sports Council."

Steps would also be taken for the immediate commissioning of the synthetic track project at the Maharaja's College ground in Kochi and the speedy completion of the first phase of the High Altitude Training Centre in Munnar and the international swimming pool in Pirppancode in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram.

Cricket stadium

Further, it was also proposed to construct a new swimming pool in the vacant land adjacent to the existing pool at the Water Works complex in Thiruvananthapuram. The capital city would also get an international cricket stadium soon as the Government has intensified efforts to find a suitable piece of land for the proposed project. The land would be handed over to the Kerala Cricket Association on a long-term lease for the completion of the project.

Another ambitious scheme on the anvil is the conversion of the Sreepadam Stadium in Attingal into a full-fledged sports complex. The Government would also soon be drawing detailed project reports for the implementation of the `Vision 2012' and `Operation Olympia' projects, earlier announced in connection with the launch of the State Sports Super Bumper lottery, Mr. Vijayakumar said.

The Minister termed the initial reaction from the public to the lottery as `exemplary' and hoped that it would achieve more than the estimated target of Rs.100 crores. In connection with the promotion of the lottery, the Government would be organising `Kayika Sangamoms' in all the District headquarters initially and thereafter in all the panchayats.

The flame lit by P.T. Usha and I.M. Vijayan in connection with the launch function on Friday would be taken all across the State to spread the message of the lottery and its social relevance.

Tie-up

Urging the media to propagate the lottery among the masses, Mr. Vijayakumar also announced that a tie-up has been made with the State Bank of Travancore for providing lottery tickets on loan to the local self-Government institutions and other agencies. SBT would also take up the sale of tickets to non-resident Keralites, he added.

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