Cricket and Football are the most popular sports in Thiruvananthapuram. [1] The Sports Hub, Trivandrum, commonly known as Greenfield Stadium is one of the largest cricket and football stadiums in India. [2] Athletics, shooting, volleyball, Aquatics and squash are the other popular sports. [3] [4]
Like elsewhere in India, Cricket is the most popular sport in Thiruvananthapuram. [5] The Sports Hub, Trivandrum, has a seating capacity more than 50,000. [2] In 1984 the city hosted the first international cricket match in Kerala at the University Stadium. [6] The city also hosted the first T20 International cricket match in Kerala. [7] Prominent cricketers from Thiruvananthapuram include Sanju Samson, Raiphi Gomez, Ryan Ninan, Aneil Nambiar, K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan, Rohan Prem, Udiramala Subramaniam, P. M. K. Mohandas, Bhaskar Pillai, Subramaniam brothers, Godwin brothers and Padmanabhan Prasanth. The Kerala Cricket Association is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. [8]
Another popular sport in Thiruvananthapuram is Football. Thiruvananthapuram hosted the 2015 SAFF Championship at the Greenfield Stadium. [9] SBI Kerala, Titanium FC, KSEB Travancore Royals FC and Kovalam FC are the major football clubs based in Thiruvananthapuram. [10] [11]
On 29 November 2018 India's First Fans owned Football club Travancore Royals FC was launched in Thiruvananthapuram.[ citation needed ]
Athletic competitions are usually held at the University Stadium, Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium and Central Stadium. [12] The Trivandrum Marathon is a marathon organised by the Trivandrum runners club every year. [13] There will be two main races; a half marathon of 21 km and a full marathon of 42.19 km. A special 2 km fun run is also organised for public participation. [14] TrivandRun is another marathon conducted every January in the city. [15]
Other popular sports in the city are Volleyball, Basketball, shooting and Aquatics. India national volleyball player K. J. Kapil Dev is from the city. [16] Many basketball tournaments are conducted in the city. Most of them are inter-school tournaments organised by the schools in the city. [17] Trivandrum hosted the 61st National Shooting Championship at the Vattiyoorkavu Shooting Range. [18] Surfing is also a popular sport in the beaches. Many Surfing and Stand Up Paddle tournaments organised in the city. [19] The surf competitions are usually held in Kovalam Beach and Varkala Beach. [20]
The Trivandrum Golf Club, officially known as SAI Trivandrum golf club is a nine-hole golf course in the heart of the city. Established in 1850, it is one of the oldest golf course in India. It is currently leased to the Sports Authority of India. [21]
The city has facilities to host most type of sports. Thiruvananthapuram was one of the main venues for the 2015 National Games of India. [22]
| S.No. | Centre | Sports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Sports Hub, Trivandrum International Stadium | Sports hub |
| 2 | Jimmy George Sports Hub | Sports hub |
| 3 | LNCPE Karyavattom | Sports hub |
| 4 | Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium | Athletics, association football |
| 5 | University Stadium | Athletics, association football |
| 6 | Central Stadium | Athletics, association football, multi-purpose stadium |
| 7 | Kerala Police Academy | Shooting |
| 8 | Vattiyoorkavu Shooting Range | Shooting |
| 9 | Thiruvananthapuram Tennis Club | Tennis |
| 10 | Ramanathan Krishnan Tennis Complex | Tennis |
| 11 | Pirappancode Aquatics Complex | Aquatics |
| 12 | Shankumugham Beach | Beach handball |
| 13 | Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club | Golf |
| 14 | CSN Squash Court | Squash |
| 15 | Sreepadam Stadium | Kho Kho, Kabadi |
| 16 | Thankamma Stadium | Association football |
| 17 | LNCPE Velodrome and Indoor Stadium | Cycling, wushu |
| 18 | St.Xaviers Cricket Ground, Thumba | Cricket |
| 19 | Agricultural College Indoor Stadium | Sports hub, taekwondo, netball |
| 20 | Toss Academy | Shuttle badminton |
Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills.
Kovalam is a beach and seaside resort in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. Kovalam is located 12.6 km (7.8 mi) southeast of the city center. The beaches around Kovalam are popular vacation destinations for both domestic and international travellers.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, is an international airport that serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and the fifth international airport of India, officially declared in 1991. It is the operating base of Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and SpiceJet. Spread over an area of 700 acres (280 ha), the airport is approximately 3.7 km (2.3 mi) due west from the city centre and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, 16 km (9.9 mi) from Kovalam beach, 13 km (8.1 mi) from Technopark and 21 km (13 mi) from the under-construction Vizhinjam International Seaport. It shares a visible proximity to Shankumugham Beach making it the nearest airport to the sea in India, just about 0.6 miles away from the sea.
Thiruvananthapuram District is the southernmost district in the Indian state of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, which is also Kerala's administrative centre. The present district was created in 1956 by separating the four southernmost Taluks of the erstwhile district to form Kanyakumari district. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is also known as the Information technology capital of the State, since it is home to the first and largest IT park in India, Technopark, established in 1990. The district is home to more than 9% of total population of the state.
Kozhikode, or Calicut district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 67.15% urbanised.
Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is a public sector undertaking that conducts and regulates the tourism activities in the Indian state of Kerala. The KTDC is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and has offices across all the districts of Kerala. The agency also operates hotels, resorts, and tourist rest houses in key locations in the state. Its official slogan is "Official host to God's own country." It is one of the most profitable ventures of the Kerala government.
The city of Thiruvananthapuram has been the centre of cultural activities of Kerala (India) from the time it was made capital of Travancore in 1745. The capital city is a major intellectual and artistic center. The Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Thiruvananthapuram Zoo were started during the reign of Swathi Thirunal (1813–1847) and are one of the oldest of their kind in India. The city's libraries include the Trivandrum Public library, which was started in 1829. The Swathi Thirunal College of Music and 'College of fine arts' are the leading institutions related to music and arts.
University Stadium or Kerala University Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and is used for predominantly football and also for athletics. University stadium had hosted the first one-day international cricket match in kerala.
Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Karnataka with International cricket matches attracting a sizeable number of spectators who are willing to pay more than the standard ticket price to get a chance to watch the match. The sports related infrastructure is mainly concentrated in Bangalore which also played host to the 4th National Games of India in the year 1997. Bangalore is also the location of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) which is the premier sports institute in the country. Karnataka is sometimes referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of high standards in swimming compared to other states.
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. 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, 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) and Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium. An international astro turf hockey stadium is located at Kollam city. Other major stadiums are EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium in Manjeri, Kannur Indoor Stadium in Kannur, Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Kollam and many more. All these stadiums attest to the mass appeal of such sports among Keralites.
Beaches in the Indian state of Kerala are spread along the 550-km Arabian Sea coastline. Kerala is an Indian state occupying the south-west corner of the subcontinent. The topography of the coastline is distinctive and changes abruptly as one proceeds from north to south. In the northern parts of Kerala, in places such as Bekal, Thalassery and Kannur, the headlands rise above the shore from the fringe of the beaches. The highlands are dotted with forts built by the colonial powers – the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. The view of the surrounding area is mesmerizing. From Kozhikode, once the hub of the Malabar coast, the view changes to flat lands with rocky outcroppings jutting out. One feature is common all through – the coconut tree in large numbers. Dense groves of coconut trees line the coast and extend to the interiors.
The Kerala Cricket Association is the governing body of the game of cricket in the Kerala state of the Republic of India. It is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India and governs the Kerala cricket team.
Lt. Col. P. R. Godavarma Raja, often referred to as G. V. Raja, was an Indian sports and tourism promoter and administrator, pilot, sportsman and Sanskrit scholar. He took special care in inspiring the youth into sports and was instrumental in founding the Kerala Sports Council in 1953. G. V. Raja occupied the post of Council President till he was killed in a flight mishap in 1971. G. V. Raja also played a key role in establishing the Trivandrum Tennis Club, Flying Club, and the development of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. As the spouse of Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi, he became the prince consort of Travancore.
Pozhiyoor is a village in the district of Thiruvananthapuram in the State of Kerala in India. It has gradually grown to a well known tourist destination in India. The major attractions of Poovar tourism area are in Pozhiyoor. Pozhikkara, estuary formed by river Neyyar before it falls into the mighty Arabian Sea is the centre of attraction of tourism circuit in Poovar. Golden Beach, Elephant Rock, Anantha Victoria Marthanda Varma Canal, Pieta are other major attractions in Pozhiyoor Beach area in Thiruvananthapuram. It is at the coastal border of the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Kochuveli railway station is an NSG–3 category Indian railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone.) It is a satellite passenger railway station of Thiruvananthapuram. It is being developed to ease congestion at Thiruvananthapuram Central.
Sport in Delhi have a long and distinguished history. Delhi is the capital territory of India; it has hosted many major international tournaments and has professional teams in different national leagues like Hockey India League, Indian Premier League and Indian Super League.
Thiruvananthapuram Metro is a proposed rapid transit system in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala.
The Sports Hub, also known as Greenfield International Stadium, and previously as Trivandrum International Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Kerala, India, used mainly for cricket and football. The stadium is located at Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram city. It was built on 36 acres of land leased by the Kerala University for ₹94 lakh (US$146,527.23) per year for a period of 15 years. The first international football tournament hosted by the stadium was the 2015 SAFF championship. India were crowned the champions, beating Afghanistan 2–1 in the final. On 1 November 2018, the venue hosted its first cricket ODI.
Central Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, India. It is mainly used for athletics and football. The stadium also hosts the Independence day parade of Kerala and other government functions. The stadium hosted India's first transgender athletics meet in 2017. The stadium is also one the main venues of annual Onam festival in Thiruvananthapuram.
Kovalam Football Club is an Indian professional football club based off Kovalam, in the capital city Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. They compete in the Kerala Premier League, the fifth tier of the Indian football league system.
