Set the ball rolling at Maharaja's turf, say Kochi's hockey fraternity

India is celebrating as its junior men’s and women’s hockey teams were crowned Asia Cup champions over the weekend. In Kochi, however, the fervour is overshadowed by frustration among the hockey fraternity.

A year after a `9.51-crore synthetic turf was opened near Maharaja’s Stadium in the heart of the city, the state-of-the-art facility remains largely unused.

The renovated turf, inaugurated last September, was expected to give a fillip to the game in the district. But critics say its high rental charges have kept it out of reach of the wider hockey community.

The synthetic turf, laid by the Sports Kerala Foundation using CSML funds, currently costs around `25,000 a day. Similar government facilities in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram are available for less than `10,000.

“The turf built with huge expense and expectation is not at all being utilised to its potential. So far, the ground must have been used for less than 50 days this year, that too mostly for practice sessions of the Maharaja’s College team,” says Sub-Inspector E M Shajee, a former national player and senior executive of Ernakulam Hockey Lovers’ Association.

“We expected it to be a good facility for development of the sport in our region, but it remains way beyond the reach of the public.”

Shajee, who is currently a sub-inspector at the Ernakulam Central Police Station, points out that most district matches are currently being held at other venues such as UC College, Aluva, and the FACT ground in Eloor. “Those terrains are not suitable for hockey matches at all,” he says.

“While similar government facilities in other parts of the state are rented out for a fairly lower price, the common folk cannot afford this new facility for the rent they have set now.”

The original hockey turf, which was once the venue for most of the district’s matches, was left in a mess in 2017 after being used for a long time as a “dump yard” for Kochi Metro’s construction work.

Now, the new turf too appears to be surrounded by waterlogged, muddy land. Though the authorities had earlier promised to clean and develop the surroundings, this has not been done yet. Weed growth is visible along the periphery of the pitch.

Former India skipper and Olympic medallist P R Sreejesh observes that the relatively short lifespan of synthetic turfs would make them a huge waste of money if left unused.

“We can only play hockey in a dedicated hockey turf and it cannot be used for any other sporting events. It has a period of validity, that is usually from 5 to 10 years at its maximum. Even if we use this or not, it will get spoiled by that time,” he says.

“Turfs like this should not be managed with a business mindset. The only way the money spent will be fruitful is if it contributes to the development of the game. And for that, wider access should be given,” Sreejesh tells TNIE.

“There is a huge difference in players being trained on normal grounds and synthetic turf. The technique, speed, strength, fitness all are different by miles. Children from here do go to high-level tournaments, but they often fail to do well because they are inexperienced in synthetic turfs. Thus, it is saddening that such facilities are not being used effectively.”

Notably, Ernakulam Hockey Association office-bearers wrote to MLA T J Vinod last month seeking a reduction in the rent. In the letter, the secretary of the association suggested that the rate be reduced to `5,000 for use from 8 am to 6 pm and `7,500 for a day-and-night booking.

“I have seen the letter. The demand is reasonable,” Vinod tells TNIE.

“It is unfortunate that such a facility remains unusable for those in need. As the district collector is the chairperson of the College Development Council, we have asked her to convene a meeting and take a decision on the matter.”

TNIE’s calls to Collector Priyanka G went unanswered.

Meanwhile, Maharaja’s College authorities claim that the rent only covers the expenses involved in maintaining the ground

and that the issue can be addressed through “proper communication”.

“The current rent prices were decided by a committee headed by the district collector to meet the expenses required for the ground and turf maintenance, and electricity and water charges,” says Reena Joseph, head of the college physical education department.

“That said, I agree that there should be a collective decision of the committee to resolve this matter and make this facility more accessible.”

Reena adds that the issue of cleaning the turf premises is being discussed with the authorities. “We also want to set up facilities such as a gallery, dressing rooms and toilets,” she says.

While welcoming such upgrade plans, hockey lovers in the city argue that making the turf more accessible to budding players, district teams and coaching sessions would be a great first step.

Bringing hockey back to life in the heart of the city, they assert, could help revive the game’s long-lost following in Kochi.