GCDA permits sponsor to complete remaining works by December 20

Thirteen renovation works at the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) International Stadium in Kaloor have either been completed or are at various stages of progress by the sponsor of the now-deferred international friendly involving World Cup winners Argentina, according to a statement issued by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), the stadium’s owner, on Monday (December 1, 2025).

Further, permission has been granted until December 20 to finish the remaining works. The stadium was handed over to the Sports Kerala Foundation (SKF), a non-profit organisation under the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, which acted as the special purpose vehicle. SKF, in turn, handed it over to the sponsor, Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC), for the period between September 26 and November 30 on an ‘as is where is’ basis. GCDA took back possession of the stadium on November 28, after accounting for the works completed so far, based on a decision taken at a meeting chaired by GCDA chairperson K. Chandran Pillai, said the statement.

“However, some works remain to be completed. RBC has submitted a schedule to finish them by December 20. Permission has been granted to carry out the works as per the schedule,” the statement said.

The pending works include plastering and compound works along a stretch of 845 metres, completion of the compound wall followed by tarring of the parking ground, installation of sanitary fittings as part of the full renovation of toilets, installation of granite slabs and tiles on tree guards, cladding of the gateway at the main entrance adjacent to the JLN Stadium metro station, and mounting of 292 LED lamps, already procured and stored at the stadium, on the floodlight towers.

The statement added that the turf of the playing field has been renovated to meet global standards, chairs on the lower tier have been completely replaced, new chairs have been installed in the VIP area, toilet renovation is 90% complete, a compound wall has been constructed along 647 metres, granite works for 35 tree guards have been completed, and the sponsor has assured a five-year defect liability period for the fresh coat of paint applied to the stadium’s interior.

The GCDA sought to give a clean chit to the sponsor, stating that RBC, along with the government and SKF, had done everything possible to ensure fast progress and coordination of works. The GCDA had earlier faced considerable criticism for handing over control of the stadium to a private party without a proper agreement.