The Chelsea Football Club has evinced keen interest in imparting training to youth in Kerala.
Responding to a query in this regard by Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan during the question hour in the Assembly on Thursday, Industries and Sports Minister E.P. Jayarajan said the government would do everything possible if the club, which competes in the Premier League, came forward to train the youth.
The Speaker said a letter from the club in this regard had been handed over to the Sports Minister. Replying to a query by Veena George, the Minister said the government was yet to receive any letter on setting up FIFA’s Sports Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. “If they come forward, the government will make available land for the project,” he said.
Health Minister K.K. Shylaja, who intervened, said the Ayurvedic Sports Hospital being set up by the government in Thrissur with all modern facilities was ready for commissioning.
The government was going ahead with a series of programmes to promote sports to ensure presence of sports personalities from Kerala in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. A women’s football team of the State was to be set up soon, the Minister said.
In reply to another query, the Sports Minister said the government would go for legislation if needed to protect the playing fields in the State. Local-level sports councils coming up in grama panchayats would be able to keep tabs on them.
