GCDA questions ₹70-crore stadium upgrade claim ahead of Argentina football match in Kerala

The ₹70 crore that the sponsors of the international friendly match featuring world champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, claim to be investing in upgrading the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor, Kochi, which is slated to host the match, is an “amorphous and subjective” estimate, according to Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) chairman K. Chandran Pillai.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Pillai stated that a three-member monitoring committee —comprising the superintendent engineer of GCDA, the general manager of Sports Kerala Foundation (SKF), and a representative from the sponsor, Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) — will assess the scope of work and determine the actual costs involved. The GCDA has handed over the stadium to SKF for infrastructure enhancements ahead of the match, which was originally scheduled for November 17 but has since been postponed.

Major renovation tasks include constructing a compound wall, replacing halogen floodlights with LED lights suitable for broadcasting, installing new chairs, upgrading the stadium’s toilets, and organising cables into ducts. These works are quantifiable, and the actual expenses can be calculated accordingly, Mr. Pillai noted.

RBC managing director Anto Augustine has consistently claimed that the stadium will be upgraded with an investment of ₹70 crore.

The sponsor has been included merely as a party to the agreement between GCDA and SKF concerning the stadium improvements. Neither agency has entered into a separate agreement with the sponsor. “Initially, the understanding was to complete the renovation works by November 10. However, with the match now reportedly postponed to the next window in March, there is no longer the urgency, though there is no confirmation yet on it,” Mr. Pillai said.

Although the Indian Super League (ISL) remains suspended for now, it may resume by the end of the year. In that case, the stadium, which is the home ground of the ISL team Kerala Blasters FC, will need to be ready to host matches by December. GCDA has factored this in and is likely to request the sponsor to complete the renovation works before that.

Mr. Pillai further emphasised that there is no question of granting any exclusive rights to the sponsor beyond the one-off international friendly match, whenever it takes place. The sponsor’s role is strictly limited to upgrading the stadium to meet FIFA standards. While they did seek additional privileges related to the stadium beyond the match, citing their investment, it was clearly communicated that no such arrangement is possible, Mr. Pillai said.