Sports Centre to be opened for public

KOCHI: The Centre for Sports Excellence will soon be thrown open to the public, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) MD V J Kurien said. Around  `40 crore will be spent on this new venture.The Project Director Board has already given the nod, and measures are on to complete it at the earliest, Kurien said. An Indoor stadium and a swimming pool of international standards will also be constructed. Besides, there will be arrangements to accommodate basketball, volleyball, handball, table tennis, 10 badminton courts, squash courts, billiard - snooker tables, bowling alleys and health clubs.Construction is also under way to convert the nine-hole golf course into an 18-hole course. With its completion, the state will get a platform to conduct competitions which will be on a par with international competitions.A golf academy and a driving range for those interested in golf are also on the cards, Kurien said. A swimming pool was also inaugurated for the golf members on Saturday. A C K Nair, Airport Director, CIAL executive directors R Venkiteswaran and A M Shabeer took part.