The capital city can now boast facilities to host world class tennis tournaments and impart high quality coaching to talented youth, thanks to the Kerala Tennis Academy inaugurated here on Thursday by Sports Minister E.P. Jayarajan.
The new facilities were created by renovating the Tennis Complex at Kumarapuram at a cost of ₹2.51 crore. The academy has all the state-of-the art facilities for advanced coaching, practice, and conducting international tournaments, day-and-night throughout the year, including the rainy season.
Govt. initiative
In his inaugural address, Mr. Jayarajan said the policy initiatives of the government had succeeded in promoting sporting activities in the State. “The renovated academy can accommodate 600 viewers and about 250 children and 100 adults can practise during day and night.”
The Minister added that programmes like Operation Olympia, aimed at spotting talented sportspersons and equipping them to perform on the global stage, had picked up pace.
Presiding over the function, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran stressed the need to maintain and utilise the new facilities at the academy properly for grooming budding players.
The academy will impart grass roots level, middle level and elite level coaching. Besides the main outdoor synthetic court with flood-lighting, it has three practice courts with roof covering, side covering, LED arena, and flood-lighting. Other features of the academy include viewers’ gallery, a practice court with ball pass wall, gymnasium, administrative block, and restrooms.
