Sports in Kerala

Last updated

Football is the most popular sport in Kerala, India, followed by cricket. Kerala Blasters are the most supported football club in the state, whereas Gokulam Kerala FC derives most of its support from the Malabar region. [1] However, larger numbers of Keralites also follow sports such as volleyball, hockey, badminton, and kabaddi. There are many stadiums across different cities. Trivandrum has various sports venues such as Trivandrum International Stadium, [2] Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, University Stadium (Thiruvananthapuram), Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium and Central Stadium, whereas Kochi has Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (Kochi) [3] and Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium. [4] [5] An international astro turf hockey stadium is located at Kollam city. [6] Other major stadiums are EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, [7] Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium in Manjeri, Kannur Indoor Stadium in Kannur, Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Kollam [8] and many more. [9] All these stadiums attest to the mass appeal of such sports among Keralites.

Contents

In addition to the multi-sport events organized by private entities, the government of Kerala conducts the annual Kerala State School Olympics for students from all districts in the state. This initiative aims to promote sports and physical education among school children.

Football

Football at the Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium.jpg
Football at the Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium

Football enjoys the most fan following among the sports in the state. Football was introduced to the land of Kerala during pre-independence period by British officers of the Malabar Special Police (MSP) in the 20th century. MSP was camped in Malappuram and soon the natives began adopting the sport, who played in post-harvest paddy fields. [10]

R B Ferguson Club is the oldest football club in Kerala and one of the oldest in India. The first Indian professional football club FC Kochin was from Kerala. The northern (Malabar region) and middle parts of Kerala, especially Malappuram and Thrissur, are famous for football-crazy. produced many Indian International footballers such as I. M. Vijayan, V. P. Sathyan, C. V. Pappachan, Jo Paul Ancheri, Victor Manjila, E.N. Sudhir and C. A. Liston.

Most of the professional football clubs in India have many Kerala footballers including Indian internationals Mohammed Rafi, C.K. Vineeth, Anas Edathodika, Sahal Abdul Samad, Rino Anto, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Ashique Kuruniyan, N.P Pradeep, Krishnan Nair Ajayan, Zakeer Mundampara, Usman Ashik, Muhammed Sagar Ali, Denson Devadas, C. S. Sabeeth, Mohamed Irshad, Asif Kottayil, Sushanth Mathew, and many more. [11]

Sevens football

Seven-a-side football is particularly popular in Malabar. Its tournaments runs from November to May. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, All India Sevens Football used to register more attendance than 11’s football. In 1950s, national players who came for the Sait Nagjee Football Tournament in Kozhikode also participated in the local sevens tournaments. All India Sevens Football moved to enclosed grounds with ticketed entry by 1970s. As tournaments increased, the Sevens Football Association (SFA) was formed in 1983. Around 50 official tournaments are held each season. Sevens tournaments have been known for recruiting foreign players, mainly from Africa. Despite the popularity, the Kerala Football Association KFA did not recognise sevens football until 2017 and had even banned I. M. Vijayan once for playing All India Sevens Football. Talking about the issue, C. K. Vineeth said: We talk about academies, but let me ask you how many top-class footballers have these academies produced? All India Sevens Football have an endless number of top footballers. There was a time when Kerala didn't have a single football tournament. It was sevens which kept the game alive. [10] Some of the football players who started their career in All India Sevens Football are I. M. Vijayan, Jo Paul Ancheri, V. P. Sathyan, Anas Edathodika, and Ashique Kuruniyan. [12]

Indian Super League

A view of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before the 2016 ISL final Jewharlal Nehru Stadium Kochi ISL 2016 Final.jpg
A view of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before the 2016 ISL final

Football became popular in Kerala decades ago. Kochi currently has a club called Kerala Blasters which competes in the Indian Super League, India's top football league. [13] It is one of the most widely supported clubs in the country, as well as one of the most followed sports clubs from Asia on social media. [14] [15] [16] The club is also the three time runner-up of the league.

I-League

Gokulam Kerala represents Kerala in the I-League. They went on to play for the first time in the 2017–18 I-League. Gokulam Kerala played all their matches at the EMS Stadium which is located in the heart of Kozhikode. Although the club did not have a good beginning, they went on to defeat big clubs like East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Punjab FC by the end of the season. [17] Travancore Royals FC from capital city Trivandrum is first fans owned football club in India. [18]

Kerala Premier League

Sports Academy Tirur vs Kerala United FC.jpg

Kerala Premier League is a football league organised by Kerala Football Association played in the state of Kerala, India. It was founded in 2013, competed by 10 football clubs from the state. [19]

Hockey

International Hockey Stadium in Kollam Kollam International Hockey Stadium, Aug 2016.jpg
International Hockey Stadium in Kollam

Hockey is the pride game of city of Kollam and Kollam district. There are a lot number of Kollam city based players in Indian hockey team as well as Kerala Hockey Team.

Kollam is famous for its players and the passion for the game. So to support the city's passion towards hockey, Government of Kerala have built a most modern state of the type astro turf hockey stadium within the city, which is first of its kind in the state. International Hockey Stadium in Kollam is having a total seating capacity of 5,000 [20] built at a cost of Rs.17.55 Crores (US$2.84 Million). [21] The stadium is now the home-ground of Kerala Hockey Team. Comparing to other sports, hockey is not much popular in Kerala. But the most popular hockey player from Kerala is P R Sreejesh. He has captained Indian team on several occasions. [22]

Athletics

Kerala has a rich history of producing world class athletes. Athletes like T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, P.T.Usha, Shiny Wilson, K. M. Beenamol, Tintu Lukka, Anju Bobby George, Preeja Sreedharan, Renjith Maheshwary are amongst the best Kerala has produced. [23]

Volleyball

Volleyball, another popular sport, is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George, born in Peravoor, Kannur, was arguably the most successful volleyball player ever to represent India. At his prime he was regarded as among the world's ten best players. [24]

Cricket

In 1800, commander Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington of British East India Company made Thalassery (then Tellicherry) his administrative base. Wellesley and his colleagues used to play cricket in nearby ground. The local natives engaged as substitute players whenever the English officers were short of players. The locals were from the dhobi community and fishermen who lived along the beach. As a child, Colin Cowdrey played in Thalasserry. In 1830, the Tellicherry Cricket Club (TCC) was formed. The earliest record of a match in Thalassery is a report from Malayala Manorama of 1890, about a match between Thalassery and Kannur. By the 1930s, Thalassery had become a cricket hub, attracting teams from other states. [25] During World War I (1914 – 1918), an exhibition match was conducted in Thalasserry for raising funds for the war. [26]

Sreesanth (right-arm fast-medium, played 26 tests and 53 ODIs for India) is often regarded as the most successful cricketer from Kerala. Tinu Yohannan, son of Olympic long jumper T. C. Yohannan, also represented India, 3 times in tests and ODIs and Sanju Samson, Indian batsman, who already joined Indian team. K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan (344 first class wickets) is also a famous domestic cricket from Kerala, who took 344 wickets in first class cricket. Kochi Tuskers, a short lived former Indian Premier League team, represented Kochi, Kerala. Sports Hub Trivandrum and Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (Kaloor International Stadium) are the two international cricket stadiums in Kerala. [27]

Water-polo

Kerala is considered one of the best Indian states regarding water-polo. Malayalee clubs, teams, players, both women and men, are some of the most valuable in India, winning several national championships. [28]

Traditional sports

Vallam kali

Vallam kali is a boat race in the backwaters of Kerala. It is a form of canoe racing, and uses paddled war canoes. It is mainly conducted during the season of the Onam in spring. Vallam kali includes races of many kinds of paddled longboats and 'snake boats'. [29]

Gatta gusthi

Gatta gusthi is a form of submission wrestling native to Kerala. It is competed inside an open ring on ground known as godha, usually on a beach; wrestlers are called phayalvans . [30] The sport comprises around 100 techniques. [31] Gatta gusthi was popular in the state until late 1960s with the arrival of freestyle wrestling and karate. The freestyle form is known simply as gusthi. [32]

Nadan Panthu kali

Nadan panthu kali is a team sport played in rural villages of Kottayam district and Muvattupuzha Taluk. Villages like Manaracd, Puthuppally, Thottakkadu, Thirvanchoor, Meendam, Manganam, Kurichy, Valakom etc. are the places where this game is played. This game is played using a small ball made of leather and filled with cotton or coconut fibre. Each team consist of 7 players each. The game is played for six Innings (vara). Each inning, both the teams are allowed to do "vettu" where they initiate the scoring and other team prevents from the scoring. Scoring points follow the sequence like otta, petta, pidiyan, thalm, Keezhu, Indan and then it repeats. The team which score the most points from the innings wins. Annual Tournaments are conducted at these villages every year. [33]

List of stadiums in Kerala

The following is a list of major stadiums in Kerala in the order of their capacity.

Sports Hub Trivandrum Greenfield International Stadium Kerala 2.jpg
Sports Hub Trivandrum
Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium JNU-Stadium-kaloor-cochin.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium
#StadiumCapacityCityDistrictMain UseTenants
1 Sports Hub Trivandrum 50,000 Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram Cricket, Football Kerala Cricket Association
2 EMS Stadium 50,000 Kozhikode Kozhikode Football Gokulam Kerala FC
3 Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium 40,000 Kochi Ernakulam Cricket, Football [34] Kerala Blasters FC,

Kerala Cricket Association

4 Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium 40,000 Kollam Kollam Football,

Rugby

5 Jawahar Municipal Stadium 30,000 Kannur Kannur Football
6 Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium 25,000 Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram Football
7 Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium 25,000 Manjeri Malappuram Football Kerala United FC
8 University Stadium 20,000 Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram Football, Cricket
9 Krishnagiri Stadium 20,000 Wayanad Wayanad Cricket [35] Kerala Cricket Association
10 Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium 15,000 Thrissur Thrissur Football FC Kerala
11 Maharaja's College Stadium 15,000 Kochi Ernakulam Multi-purpose [36]
12 Fort Maidan Stadium 10,000 Palakkad Palakkad Cricket Kerala Cricket Association
13 Thrissur Aquatic Complex 10,000 Thrissur Thrissur Swimming
14 Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium 10,000 Kochi Ernakulam Multi-purpose
15 FACT Stadium 5,000 Kochi Ernakulam Multi-purpose
16 International Hockey Stadium 5,000 Kollam Kollam Hockey [37]
17 Jimmy George Indoor Stadium 2,000 Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram Multi-purpose
18Pala Municipal Stadium Pala Kottayam Football, Athletics
19Senior Ground Kunnamkulam Thrissur Football, Athletics
20District Stadium Kalpetta Wayanad Football, Athletics
21Dr. Ambedkar Stadium Kochi Ernakulam Football

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kollam</span> City in Kerala, India

Kollam, is an ancient seaport and the fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake and is 71 kilometers northwest of the state capital, Thiruvanathapuram (Trivandrum). Kollam is one of India's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with evidence of habitation stretching back to the megalithic; the city has also been a maritime entrepôt millennia, the earliest attestation of which dates back to the Phoenicians and Romans. It is the southern gateway to the Backwaters of Kerala, and is known for its cashew processing, coir manufacturing, and tourism industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannur district</span> District in Kerala, India

Kannur is one of the 14 districts along the west coast in the state of Kerala, India. The city of Kannur is the district headquarters and gives the district its name. The old name, Cannanore, is the anglicized form of the Malayalam name "Kannur". Kannur district is bounded by Kasaragod District to the north, Kozhikode district to the south, Mahé district to the southwest and Wayanad District to the southeast. To the east, the district is bounded by the Western Ghats, which forms the border with the state of Karnataka. The Arabian Sea lies to the west. Paithalmala is the highest point in Kannur District (1,372m). Enclosed within the southern part of the district is the Mahé district of the Union Territory of Puducherry. The district was established in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thalassery</span> City in Kerala, India

Thalassery, formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality and commercial city on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahe, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karnataka). Thalassery municipality has a population of just under 100,000 as of 2011 census. Thalassery Heritage City has an area of 23.98 square kilometres (9.26 sq mi). Thalassery has an altitude ranging from 2.5 to 30 metres above mean sea-level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannur</span> City in India

Kannur, formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated 274 kilometres (170 mi) north of the major port city and commercial hub Kochi and 137 kilometres (85 mi) south of the major port city and a commercial hub, Mangalore. During the period of British colonial rule in India, when Kannur was a part of the Malabar District, the city was known as Cannanore. Kannur is the fifth largest urban agglomeration in Kerala. As of 2011 census, Kannur Municipal Corporation, the local body which administers mainland area of city, had a population of 232,486.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar District</span> Administrative district of Bombay and later Madras from 1792 to 1956

Malabar District, also known as British Malabar or simply Malabar was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792–1800), Madras Presidency (1800–1937), Madras Province (1937–1950) and finally, Madras State (1950–1956) in India. It was the most populous and the third-largest district in the erstwhile Madras State. The historic town of Kozhikode was the administrative headquarters of this district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peravoor</span> Town in Kerala, India

Peravoor is a town and Grama Panchayat in Kannur district of Kerala state in India. It is located 50 km (31 mi) east of Kannur and 40 km (25 mi) north east of Thalassery. And Iritty, the nearest municipality is 14 km (8.7 mi) north of Peravoor. Peravoor is situated in the Western Ghats mountain range.

The EMS Stadium, located in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, is a multi-purpose stadium primarily used for football matches. The stadium most recently was home to the I-League team Gokulam Kerala FC, as well as their IWL women's team. Built in 1977, the stadium hosts 50,000 spectators. It is named after the first Chief Minister of Kerala E. M. S. Namboodiripad. The stadium has played host to several important football tournaments, such as Super Cup, Santhosh Trophy, and Sait Nagjee Football tournament. Gokulam Kerala has been playing their home matches at the EMS Stadium since 2017 and has had a successful run at the stadium winning their first I-League home match against East Bengal FC with a score of 2–1. The stadium is considered a historic and important venue for football in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thalassery railway station</span> Railway station in Kerala, India

Thalassery railway station is an NSG–3 category Indian railway station in Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a railway station serving the City of Thalassery in Kerala. It lies in the Shoranur–Mangalore section of the Southern Railways. It is the third largest station in Kerala in terms of number of passengers under Palakkad division. The station has two platforms and three tracks. Though no trains originate from this station, trains halting at the station connect the city to prominent cities in India such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Coimbatore, Quilon, New Delhi, Mangalore, Pune, Jaipur, Jammu Tawi, Okha and so forth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannur railway station</span> Railway station in Kerala, India

Kannur railway station (station code: CAN) is an NSG–2 category Indian railway station in Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is the largest railway station serving the City of Kannur in Kerala. It lies in the Shoranur–Mangalore section of the Southern Railway zone. It is the largest railway station in terms of area and number of tracks in North Malabar region. At ₹62 crore in financial year 2018–19, it is the fifth largest in terms of passenger revenues in Kerala, and second largest under Palakkad railway division. Almost all major trains connecting the other parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and North India halt here. Kannur and Kannur South are two different stations which serve Kannur city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerala United FC</span> Indian association football club based in Malappuram

Kerala United Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Malappuram, Kerala, that competes in I-League 3, fourth tier of the Indian football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Kerala</span> Overview of and topical guide to Kerala

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Kerala:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannur–Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express</span> Train in India

The 12081 / 12082 Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram Central Jan Shatabdi Express is a Jan Shatabdi Express train belonging to Trivandrum Division of Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways that runs between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Kannur in Kerala state of India. It is the longest-running Jan Shatabdi Express of Southern Railway and the fourth longest Jan Shatabdi Express in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kollam International Hockey Stadium</span>

The International Synthetic Turf Hockey Stadium is a hockey stadium situated at the city of Kollam, first of its kind in Kerala state, with a nominal capacity of around 5,000 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ports in Kerala</span> Transportation in the Indian state

The South Indian state of Kerala has a coastline of around 590 km. The state is home to a major port operated by Cochin Port Authority & DP World and owned by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under Government of India and other 19 non major ports including Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram, India's first and only deep water automatic transshipment port.In India the ports under central government is classified as Major Ports and other Ports are classified as non major Port

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Kannur district</span>

Kannur has a good road network connecting to Bangalore, Mangalore, Kodagu and Cochin. The railway station is also well connected to all parts of India. There is new International airport from Kannur opened on 9 December 2018, other nearest airports are at Calicut and Mangalore. Thalassery, Payyanur, Taliparamba and Iritty are the other transport hubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gokulam Kerala FC</span> Indian association football club based in Kozhikode

Gokulam Kerala Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Kozhikode, Kerala. Founded in 2017, the club competes in the I-League, the second tier of Indian football league system. They won the 2020–21 I-League title to become the first club from Kerala to do so, and became the first team to defend the league title in 2021–22. Gokulam is also the first and so far the only club from the state to qualify for a continental competition, AFC Cup, in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gokulam Kerala FC (women)</span> Indian womens association football team

Gokulam Kerala FC Women is an Indian women's football section of Gokulam Kerala FC. They participated in Indian Women's League (IWL), the premier women's football league in India. They won the first IWL In 2019–20. They then retained the title in 2021–22 and 2022–23. In 2021, they became the first club to represent India in AFC Women's Club Championship.

Waterways have always been an important mode of transport in Kerala. The total length of navigable route in Kerala was 1,900 kilometres and the navigable rivers constitute about 54 per cent of the waterways. The 41 West-flowing rivers together with the backwaters are an integrated part of the inland navigation system in Kerala. In Kerala water transportation through these channels are mainly small distant passenger services, informal country boats, freight transportation to PSU's such as Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore, Kochi etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatta gusthi</span> Wrestling form of Kerala, India

Gatta gusthi is a form of submission wrestling practiced in Kerala, India. It is competed inside an open ring on the ground, usually on a beach, known as godha. Wrestlers are called phayalvans. The sport consists of around 100 techniques. Gatta gusthi was popular in the state until the arrival of freestyle wrestling and karate in late 1960s. Its freestyle form is known simply as gusthi.

References

  1. ↑ "KPL: Blasters edge Gokulam to emerge champs". OnManorama. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Oommen Chandy inaugurates new Trivandrum International Stadium".
  3. ↑ "Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kochi (Kaloor International Stadium)".
  4. ↑ "Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium".
  5. ↑ "Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium (CSN)".
  6. ↑ "Astro turf hockey stadium in Kollam". TNIE. 23 December 2009. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode".
  8. ↑ "Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Indoor Stadium, Mundayad".
  10. 1 2 Rayson P. Tennyson (3 September 2019). "How Kerala shrunk football to make it its own". The Times of India . Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Indian Football: Legends from the 'football mad' state of Kerala | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Sevens Football: Top five players who went on to represent India". Khel Now. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "From Blasters to Gokulam: How Kerala rediscovered its passion for football". The Indian Express. 14 May 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  14. ↑ Salikha, Adelaida. "Top FIVE Asian Clubs With Highest Social Media Followers, Up to October 2018 | Seasia.co". Good News from Southeast Asia. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  15. ↑ "Indian Football: Five most-followed clubs on social media". Khel Now. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "Kerala Blasters online fan base swells to 4.3 million, becomes 10th most followed football club in Asia". My Khel. 12 October 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Gokulam Kerala beat Mohun Bagan 2-1 to win Durand Cup". Zee News. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Make way for the first fan-owned football club". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  19. ↑ "KFA Announces Kerala Premier League". Football News India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  20. ↑ Astro-turf hockey stadium - The New Indian Express
  21. ↑ "Crores Spent; Game for Future? - The New Indian Express". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "'Dronacharya of Kerala hockey' Sreedhar Shenoy passes away". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  23. ↑ "Olympics moments: PT Usha misses bronze by a whisker". DNA India. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  24. ↑ "Sportal ---- Sports Portal -- GOVERNMENT OF INDIA --". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008.
  25. ↑ Radhakrishnan, M. G. (20 May 2002). "A coastal town in Kerala celebrates the bicentenary of its cricket tradition". India Today . Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  26. ↑ K., Sreejith (2021). The Middle Class in Colonial Malabar: A Social History. Routledge. p. 91. ISBN   9781000464191 . Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Kochi can host cricket and football alike, says GCDA". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  28. ↑ "Kerala Swimmers Win Second Straight Gold in Water Polo". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  29. ↑ "The Boat Races of Kerala". Outlook India . 24 May 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  30. ↑ Sathyendran, Nita (11 May 2017). "All set for the ring". The Hindu . Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  31. ↑ Sreemol, T. C. (13 January 2017). "Phogat effect: Kochi girls learning Gatta Gusti". The Times of India . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  32. ↑ Times News Network (24 July 2016). "Gatta champs grapple to keep the sport alive". The Times of India . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  33. ↑ "Strike the ball in six different ways in this barefoot game". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  34. ↑ "Nehru Stadium". ESPNcricinfo .
  35. ↑ "Scenic Krishnagiri Stadium Warms up for First International Match". The New Indian Express.
  36. ↑ "Maharaja College Ground". ESPNcricinfo .
  37. ↑ "Crores Spent; Game for Future? - The New Indian Express". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.