Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has named the newly built indoor stadium here — Rajiv Gandhi International Indoor Stadium.
Speaking at the ceremony organised to dedicate the stadium to the nation, Mr. Chandy said the previous National Games was a big eye opener for the State. Sportspersons in seven districts where sports infrastructure had been developed as part of the Games had gained immensely from them. Kottayam was one of the districts which was left out then.
The new stadium along with the Indian Institute of Sports Science and Research, Kerala, would go a long way in helping the sportspersons in the district to compete globally, he said. He said he had planned an indoor stadium in the town when he was a Minister but it was after 30 years that the dream became a reality, that too because of the initiative of Sports and Forests Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, he said.
The Rs.19-crore indoor stadium was the result of the joint effort of the State and Central governments. While the State spent and amount of Rs.13 crore, the Central government gave the rest.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan; Jose K. Mani, MP; Sports Council president Anju Bobby George; district panchayat president Joshy Philip; District Collector U.V. Jose; municipal chairperson P.R. Sona; and others spoke.
