₹9-crore hockey turf at Maharaja's ready; nod awaited to host matches

Inauguration of turf likely in a month | Will also be open to general public, besides students

- Krishna Kumar K E @Kochi

The Maharaja's College ground is all set to turn into a sports hub with the construction of a synthetic hockey turf of international standards getting over.

The new turf, built for ₹9.51 crore and boasting of amenities including floodlights, will not just cater to Maharaja's students, but will also be open to the general public. State and national-level matches and tournaments may also be hosted on the turf if the proposal of a committee headed by the district collector is approved.

"An expert team of officials from the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) recently visited the facility for inspection. The turf will be inaugurated in a month when we propose to host the state sub-junior and junior boys events there. A request in this regard has been submitted to the State Hockey Association," Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod told TNIE.