Many sports are played by the people in Kerala including both traditional sports and sports from other countries. Association football is the most popular sport in Kerala, followed by cricket. Kerala Blasters are the most supported football club in the whole state and participates in the Indian super league the top tier of Indian football. Whereas Gokulam Kerala FC a club which plays in the I-league 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 large stadiums in Kerala across different cities. Trivandrum city 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 city has stadiums such as 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.
Association 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 state and one of the oldest clubs 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]
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]
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.
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 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 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]
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, 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]
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]
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]
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 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 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]
The following is a list of major stadiums in Kerala in the order of their capacity.
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.
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.
Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, 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 Calicut was the admisnitrative headquarters of this district.
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, also known as Kaloor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Kochi, Kerala, India. Since the 2017 renovation, the stadium has a seating capacity of 41,000. Previously, it was able to host 80,000 spectators, which was reduced for the Indian Super League (ISL) matches due to security reasons. It is the home ground of the ISL club Kerala Blasters FC. The stadium is touted to have hosted one of the loudest audiences for association football matches in the world.
SBI Kerala football team was a football team based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It last competed in the Kerala Premier League.
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.
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.
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.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Kerala:
Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kerala, India, located about 7 km from Manjeri and 12 km from Malappuram. The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 spectators. Opened in 2013, it is part of the Malappuram District Sports Complex & Football Academy, under the management of Malappuram District Sports Council.
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.
Gokulam Kerala Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Malappuram, 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.
Kottappadi Football Stadium, also known as Malappuram Stadium, is a historic football stadium in Malappuram, Kerala. It is under the management of Malappuram District Sports Council, located right at the heart of CBD of Malappuram. Malappuram is unequivocally considered to be the cradle of Indian football, and this stadium owns much of credit.
The 2018–19 Kerala Premier League Season was the sixth season of the Kerala Premier League. The season featured 11 teams which was divided into 2 groups and is played on a home-and-away format. The season kicked off on 16 December 2018. Kozhikode Quartz, SBI Kerala and Trikaripur withdrawn from the league due to financial problems.
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.
South Malabar refers to a geographical area of the southwestern coast of India covering some parts of the present-day Kerala state. South Malabar covers the regions included in present-day Kozhikode taluk of Kozhikode district, the whole area of Malappuram district, Chavakkad taluk of Thrissur district, and Palakkad district, excluding parts of Chittur taluk. The Fort Kochi region of Kochi city also historically belongs to South Malabar. The term South Malabar refers to the region of the erstwhile Malabar District south to the river Korapuzha, and bears a high cultural similarity to both the Cochin and the North Malabar regions.
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.
The 2021–22 Kerala Premier League was the ninth season of the Kerala Premier League. The season featured 24 teams and was played on multiple venues. This season Kerala Football Association decided to add 12 more participants into the league.
The 2022–23 Kerala Women's League season was the fourth season of the Kerala Women's League, the top division of the women's football league in the Indian state of Kerala. The season featured 10 teams with Kozhikode and Kochi as the venues. The season began on 10 August 2022.
Association football is one of the most popular sports in Kerala. It was introduced to the land of Kerala during the 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, which was mostly played in post-harvest paddy fields. Kerala enjoyed a golden age from 1985 to 1995 by making it to Santhosh Trophy finals seven times consecutively, and football became an iconic sport ever since in the south Indian state. FIFA released the film Maitanam - The Story of Football in Kerala, quoting: Football in the Indian state of Kerala runs through the fabric of its society, where football is life and life is football.