Kaloor Stadium paint change raises eyebrows

A dispute has emerged over the decision to repaint much of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor in Kochi following a sponsorship-led renovation, as critics question the transparency of the process and the role of the Greater Cochin Development Authority in approving the work.The repaint initiative was part of a broader 70 crore upgrade triggered by a proposed international friendly between the Argentina national football team and the Australia national football team, which has since been cancelled.

- HD Bureau

The renovation scope included new seating, structural strengthening and turf maintenance, up to and including repainting of large sections of the venue.

The stadium is owned and managed by GCDA with coordination via the Sports Kerala Foundation.

Critics, most vigorously the opposition party United Democratic Front, are demanding details of the arrangement struck between GCDA and the sponsorship agency Reporter Broadcasting Company. They highlight that no formal contract had been publicly confirmed at the time renovation works began, despite large-scale public expenditure on repainting and other modifications. One motion alleges that GCDA absolved the sponsor of rights expectations yet still permitted handover of the facility under an “as-is where-is” basis.