Toying with idea of High Performance Centre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Swifter, Higher, Stronger’. Kerala State Sports Council taking a cue from this Olympics motto is toying with the idea of constructing a  ‘High Performance Centre’ at Panampally Nagar in Kochi, which if realised will be the first of its kind in the nation.  The elite institution planned on the lines of foreign training centres is being  considered to be set up on the sprawling five acres of land at Panampilly Nagar, owned by Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), which currently houses a government Higher Secondary School and a sports hostel run by Kerala State Sports Council. The Sports Council and the Sports Department had earlier decided to approve the project of elevating the existing sports hostel to a centralised sports hostel. But the decision ran into rough weather after Bobby Aloysius, Assistant Secretary (Technical), Kerala State Sports Council, submitted a negative report on the project. It was after this that the idea of a high performance centre gained foothold. Speaking to Express, Thrikkakkara MLA Benny Behanan who is vociferously campaigning for the centre, said that the proposal for setting up a high performance centre at Panampilly Nagar had been on the cards of Kerala Sports Council.‘’It is an ambitious project which can act as a panacea in the field of sports in the country. Nowadays, acquiring land, that too in the heart of the city, is a Herculean task. But we have five acres of land and that could be used for the purpose. The issue would also be taken up soon with the Sports Minister and officials of Sports Council,’’ he said. The high performance centre will house a full-fledged gymnasium, indoor stadium, sports medicine centre, swimming pool and lodging facilities. The synthetic track laid on Maharajas College ground would be used by the trainees at the centre. George Thomas, former national badminton champion, who was one among the early proponents of the idea, said that the initial proposal regarding the high performance centre was submitted two months ago and the minister had visited the school to get a first hand account of the project. Olympian Bobby Aloysius, who had been to several foreign centres, strongly feels that the state-of-the-art training centre is the need of the hour.‘’I had been to many countries. We have been shelling out large amounts of money for sending our athletes for training in foreign centres. If we can set up one and draw able trainers and supporting staff, our players will have a strong chance in the future competitions,’’ she said.