Kochi Turf-War Explained: Who Really Can Lay Claim to The Ground?

A FIFA-approved turf of Bermuda grass was laid at the venue ahead of U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017.

The stadium has been leased out to the KCA for a period of thirty years since 1997.

(Photo: The Quint)

Football lovers in Kerala, including Shashi Tharoor, had expressed concern over the move by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) to host a cricket match at the Kochi stadium, which is also home to the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC, co-owned by Sachin Tendulkar.

They raised apprehension that hosting a cricket match in the stadium would damage the world class football turf and affect the ISL season that normally begins in October since last year and continues for around four months.

However, the KCA expressing desire or deciding to host a match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium isn’t as blasphemous as it sounds. The venue has been leased out to them by Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) for a period of thirty years.

Here’s a look at what transpired since the inception of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium till this whole issue cropped up few days back.

How Did it all Begin?

The Jawaharlal Stadium in Kochi came into existence in 1996. A multi-purpose stadium since inception, the venue was owned and maintained by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). In 1997, the GCDA leased out the stadium to Kerala Cricket Association for thirty years, who till then didn’t have a ground of its own.

The first international event held at the ground was the 1997 Nehru Cup, a football tournament. It was later in 1998 that the first cricket match was played at the venue between India and Australia.

In the years to follow it not only went onto host numerous cricket matches featuring the Indian national team and the now defunct IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala but was home to a number of football clubs from Kerala, including FC Kochin, Viva Kerala and finally Kerala Blasters.

In 2013, the president of the Kerala Football Association KMI Mather had informed that the KFA would sign an MoU with the GCDA for the development of Dr Ambedkar Stadium in Kochi for exclusive usage of football for 20 years on lease agreement. The GCDA is yet to complete the renovation of the venue.

Since 1997, the KCA has been responsible for the maintenance of the playing area inside the stadium and has spent around Rs 10 to 15 crore for the upkeep.

When Did Cricket Make Way for Football?

With the inception of the Indian Super League in 2014, the franchise from the state, Kerala Blasters, needed a stadium at home for its matches. With no football stadium of world class standard around, the Blasters entered into an agreement and signed an MoU to rent the stadium for two months every year during the ISL season. In 2014, the ground hosted its last ODI just four days before the inaugural edition of the ISL.

In 2013, after India got the rights to host the U-17 FIFA World Cup, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was chosen as one of the potential venues. In December 2014, during the first round of inspection, the FIFA team had asked to improve the quality of the pitch, which led to relaying of the turf with Bermuda Grass, approved by the football body. The Government of Kerala spent around Rs 25 crore for redevelopment ahead of the World Cup.

In the 2017 FIFA World Cup, the ground hosted eight matches. In the meantime, in Thiruvananthapuram another ground came up, which hosted a T20I between India and New Zealand in November 2018.

Who Is to Be Blamed for the Fiasco?

No one. The BCCI has a rotation policy according to which different state associations are allotted matches throughout the year. So, the BCCI actually just allot matches, the final venue is decided by the state associations. For example, if Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is allotted a match, they have the freedom to decide whether they want to host it at the Wankhede Stadium, the Brabourne Stadium or the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

In the upcoming season, the KCA was allotted an ODI against West Indies on 1 November 2018. The KCA had the option of either choosing the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi or the newly-built Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram for the match, as both grounds were leased out to them.

According to a KCA official, they also wanted a rotation policy in place so that cricket fans in both the cities, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, are not deprived. He said it is always advantageous to have two grounds in the state.

Since Thiruvananthapuram had hosted the last match in Kerala, the KCA decided it was only fair to give the next match to Kochi.

Is the Kochi Stadium One of Its Kind?

The Jawaharlal Stadium is neither one-of-its-kind or the first to host both cricket and football matches in the country.

For a long time, till the Yuva Bharati Krirangan came up in Kolkata in 1984, the Eden Gardens used to host both cricket and football matches. All the Kolkata derbies involving Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting Club were hosted at the same venue. In fact, in 1977, Pele and his New York Cosmos played out a 2-2 draw against Mohun Bagan in an exhibition match at the Eden Gardens.

In more recent times, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai also hosted cricket as well as football matches. Primarily a football stadium, the DY Patil Stadium hosted all the home matches for Mumbai Indians in the IPL from 2008 till 2010, when the Wankhede Stadium was being repaired ahead of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Later, in 2017, the ground also hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Internationally, all the cricket grounds in New Zealand serve the dual purpose of cricket as well rugby stadiums. In England, during 2012 London Olympics, Lord’s Cricket Ground played host to the archery competition. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has been the main stadium during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Apart from cricket, it also hosts rugby, football and Australian football games.

What next?

With the match now being moved to Thiruvananthapuram and the Kerala government assuring the KCA officials that they will support them to build a new stadium at Kochi, it looks like the last cricket match at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi has already been played way back in 2014.

From now on all the football matches in the state will be played at Kochi, while all cricket matches will be played at Thiruvananthapuram till a new cricket stadium comes up at Kochi.

The only question that remains to be answered now is whether GCDA will continue to lease out the stadium to KCA or KFA will come into the picture now.