ISL 2017/18: Kerala Blaster's home stadium in fear of breaking down?
What's the story?
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, the home of Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League seems to be dilapidated, as a video has emerged which shows that the floor was shaking when the crowd was jumping up and down.
In case you didn't know...
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is one of the biggest stadiums in the country with a maximum seating capacity of 39000. This government-sanctioned stadium recorded the 5th loudest crowd in the world, in 2016, during the ISL final between ATK and Kerala Blasters FC.
Apart from hosting the ISL every year, the stadium was also a host in the U-17 FIFA World Cup, that took place last year (2017). Matches like Brazil vs Spain (Group Stage), Spain vs Niger (Group Stage), and even the Quarter-finals took place in this stadium.
The heart of the matter
Even after being refurbished, the floor of the top tier of the stadium seemed to be shaking, when the fans were jumping up and down. The tweet embedded below is evidence of how poor the condition of the stadium has become presently.
The capacity of the stadium was decreased from 39000 to 29000 people, and it was stated that it was done for security reasons. Since then, it looks like nothing has been done to improve that part of the stadium and the fans are lucky that nothing catastrophic has happened so far.
What's next?
Kerala Blasters FC is 5th on the ISL table and is out of the competition as they have finished playing all their games, and there is no chance of rising up the table now. The matter should be looked into now, as there are no further matches being played anytime soon.
Author's take
Safety of the people and the fans should be the highest priority, and I think it's high time that the authorities take a look at the stadium and fix the necessary problems soon before other matches take place.
Being one of the most important multipurpose stadiums (Both cricket and football matches are hosted in the same stadium), utmost care needs to be taken now.