Come December 23, the City will host the prestigious Hero I-League football at the Nehru Stadium here.
If a big-time event such as the I-League is coming to town, the credit goes to the men at the helm of the Chennai City Football Club (CCFC). Rohit Ramesh, the brain behind CCFC, is, obviously, a happy man. "We are pleased to host the event here, as Coimbatore has a rich football history."
Quite true, as football was once the most sought-after sport in the city. Fans from in and around Tamil Nadu, and from the neighbouring States of Kerala and Karnataka used to throng the Nehru Stadium in large numbers to have a glimpse of their favourite stars in action.
But, from being the most popular sport, football faded away in Coimbatore. Now, CCFC's entry is seen as one that will give that extra fillip to the sport. The Chennai-based organisation is confident of bringing back the fans, and with it the lost glory.
It's not going to be an easy task though for CCFC. Already a big chunk of money has been spent in bringing back the weary-looking Nehru Stadium to life.
The renovation work, such as laying the grass, setting up of media boxes, doping control and dressing rooms and floodlighting are on at full throttle and it is expected to be ready before the start of the big clash.
But there's more to it. If the football-loving people of Coimbatore and the corporate companies come forward to support CCFC in its endeavour then the sport can move to an entirely different level. And, Rohit and CCFC's Chief Executive Officer and Co-owner R. Krishnakumar believe there will be more hands from Coimbatore joining in making the sport bigger and better.
S.P. Velumani, the Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, is thrilled with the efforts taken by the CCFC in renovating the Nehru Stadium.
"We are happy that Rohit and his team have chosen Coimbatore as the home ground. In fact, it comes as a blessing for the sports-loving people of Coimbatore as the stadium is all set for a fresh and smart look."
He promised all help from the State Government. "We will travel with you right through your journey and whatever support is required will be done on time from our end," he says.
He also urged P. Balakrishna Reddy, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, to further speed up the renovation process and also promote more such sports in Coimbatore.
