Once called the “theatre of dreams”, today more and more often referred to as a “white elephant”. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi is struggling with rising costs, safety issues and an exodus of sports event organisers.

From glory to uncertainty

Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi, opened in 1996, was meant to be the pride of the region and the new sporting centre of southern India. In its history it has hosted One Day International cricket matches, Indian Premier League tournaments, the FIFA U-17 World Cup and prestigious domestic fixtures. It was also home to the short-lived franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

The stadium is increasingly left unused and no longer attracts as many fans as it once did. The need for entertainment, however, is not limited to stadiums and does not disappear – today it is increasingly shifting to the online world. That is why MelBet apk is becoming more and more popular, offering a wide range of bets in one convenient form.

In 2014 Kerala Blasters FC moved to the venue, and with the birth of the Indian Super League the stadium became a symbol of football in the region. But recent years leave no illusions – instead of growth, the venue is often empty. Today it is used only by Kerala Blasters and Forca Kochi FC, but even these teams openly speak of problems with rental costs and infrastructure limitations.

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High costs and unresolved problems

Although Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium can accommodate over 41,000 spectators, maintaining such a large facility has proved an insurmountable barrier for many organisers. Officials point out that rent and operational costs are too high to regularly plan sporting events here.

Affordability is one of the main reasons driving organisers of sporting events away from the Kaloor stadium. We are developing the 17,000-capacity Ambedkar stadium nearby with this in mind. It is virtually impossible to lower prices to make the venue more inviting, said Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) chairman, K Chandran Pillai.

But high costs are not the only problem. Safety issues have remained unresolved for years. Local media highlight serious structural flaws – from the roof to smoke detectors and pillars. The JLN Stadium has been dogged by structural and other safety worries. From the roof to smoke detectors to pillars in the stadium — everything is faulty or in bad condition said community activist Pauly Vadakkan.

Clubs moving out of Kochi

The stadium’s problems directly affect the clubs. Kerala Blasters, even in the previous season, reported that they were struggling to pay the rent and were considering relocating to another venue. In addition, the club encountered obstacles in obtaining the Premier 1 licence for the 2025/26 season – the All India Football Federation (AIFF) specifically cited concerns about the stadium’s safety.

Forca Kochi FC made a similar decision, moving their matches this season to Maharaja’s College Ground. The club explained this both with the costs of maintaining Kaloor Stadium and the poor opportunities for engaging fans. It is difficult to create an atmosphere when the stands are too far from the pitch – the stadium, originally designed for cricket, does not meet football requirements and does not foster building a bond with supporters.

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Shadow of the past and questions about the future

Just a decade ago it seemed that Kochi would become the sporting centre of Kerala. In 2014 the Kerala Cricket Association leased the stadium for 30 years, but cricket has long since disappeared from the city – it moved to more modern venues, including Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Even government plans to bring Argentina’s national team to India did not include Kochi – both friendlies were scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram instead.

In this situation, the stadium’s owner, the GCDA, is looking for alternatives. Kerala Blasters are currently using the stadium as their home ground, but we are open to more teams. We want to fully utilise the ground so that it makes good economic sense. We are now seriously considering using the stadium for non-sporting events as well, without affecting the pitch and other facilities, announced Chandran Pillai.