The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, locally known as Kaloor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Kochi, Kerala, India. The stadium has a capacity of 41,000 spectators.[2] For Indian Super League matches it is restricted to 39,000.[3][4][5] The stadium is widely touted to be one of the noisiest football stadiums in the world.[6]
The stadium has played host to a number of international cricket and football matches but after 2014 it didn't hold any cricket match due to ISL. The extensive grounds of the stadium serve as venue for important exhibitions, cinema events and political rallies in the city. The most innovative aspect of the stadium is its unique lighting towers of 2 kW Floodlights which when switched on fully can provide lighting levels for HD telecast. The Structure of the tower is itself one of a kind in India.[7][8] Greater Cochin Development Authority leased out the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium at Kaloor to the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) for a period of 30 years.
The stadium acts as the home ground for teams including Kerala cricket team and Kerala Blasters FC (Indian Super League). Stadium holds the privilege of having the fifth loudest crowd (128 db) in the world,[9] during ISL 2016 final match where Kerala Blasters played against Atletico de Kolkata. The Blasters became the first football club from India with 3 million followers on Instagram.[10] The Blasters also became the first football club from Kerala with a value of at least $10 million.
Kochi was one of the six host cities for 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in India.[11] As of 19 August 2017, the stadium has hosted 10 ODIs.
Early years and football's popularityEdit
The Kaloor Stadium was originally constructed as a cricket stadium. But considering that Kerala is one of the few regions in India where football enjoys considerable popularity it was used for football matches also. Indeed, in a match between India and Iraq in 1997, approximately 1,00,000 spectators filled up the venue, thus overcrowding it, which remains a record at this place. This was in the Nehru Cup International Football Tournament in 1997, which was the first tournament at the venue. The stadium won several laurels for being constructed in a timely manner.[12] The stadium was completed under the watchful eyes of late V. Joseph Thomas IPS who was the head of the Greater Cochin Development Authority. He was a huge fan of soccer from his college days at St. Thomas College, Palai and also served as the patron of the Kerala State Athletics Association.[13] The stadium was inaugurated by then President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1996. It has 1.3 kilometres in outer circle.
International cricket
After 1998, football went down and cricket took the centre-stage for many years, drawing sell-out and high money grossing games. In fact, the highest money grosser at the venue was made in a cricket ODI match between India and its arch-rival Pakistan in April 2005. The first ODI played on this ground was between India and Australia on 1 April 1998.
Kaloor stadium hosted the first match India played after Sachin Tendulkar's retirement. The pavilion was renamed as Sachin Tendulkar pavilion as an honour to him before this match between India and West Indies on 21 November 2013 which India won by 6 wickets.
The stadium underwent a massive renovation including a modern turf, an aesthetic modern roofing and a four-lane road from the south side of the stadium.
The first Indian Premier League game at the stadium was on 9 April 2011, when the Kochi Tuskers Kerala hosted the Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was the first IPL match for the Kochi Tuskers. Five of their 2011 home games were played in this stadium, and the other two were played at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. The stadium hosted the semi-final and final of the 2013 Duleep Trophy.
In 2011, Chirag United claimed the tenancy of the venue. However, the premier football club of India was still not able to fill up the stadium's massive capacity.[14] Football returned to prominence at the venue after the launch of Indian Super League in 2014. The stadium is the home ground to Kerala Blasters, co-owned by Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who has massive fan-following in the city. Some of the games involving the home team drew crowds in excess of 55,000 in the inaugural edition.[15]
The first Indian Super League game at the stadium was on 6 November 2014, when the Kerala Blasters FC hosted the FC Goa. It was the first ISL match for the Kerala Blasters. The stadium had an average attendance of over 40,000 for the Indian Super League matches in 2014. The game between Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC saw 61,323 spectators on 30 November 2014.
The stadium was the venue for 2013 Santosh Trophy finals.
In popular cultureEdit
The famous "Maro Maro" song composed by A.R. Rahman for the Tamil movie.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpnlXcc-tZQ
എറണാകുളം ജില്ല, ആലുവ ഈസ്റ്റ് വില്ലേജ്, എടത്തല പഞ്ചായത്ത് 3.5 സെന്റ് കരഭൂമി. തഖ്ദീസ് ഹോസ്പിറ്റലിന്റെ സമീപം.1450sqft house, 3 attached bedroom.main door& kitchen door steel. ശുദ്ധമായ കിണർവെള്ളം,വീടിന്റെ മുൻവശം പടിഞ്ഞാറ്. വീടിന്റെ മുൻഭാഗം 8 മീറ്റർ വീതിയിലുള്ള main road.രാജഗിരി hospital 2 കെഎം, ആരാധനാലയങ്ങൾ, hospital, ഓഡിറ്റോറിയം 100 മീറ്റർ ചുറ്റളവിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു,ഇൻഫോ പാർക്ക് 8 കിലോമീറ്റർ,പൂക്കാട്ടുപടിക്ക് ഒരു കിലോമീറ്റർ മാത്രം, ഉദ്ദേശിക്കുന്ന വില 60 ലക്ഷം (negotiable)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9sA25TKgNM