business of sport. The Sports Hub is much more than games

The Sports Hub, the ₹345-crore stadium and sporting infrastructure in Thiruvananthapuram, and a flagship project of the IL&FS Group, is now transitioning from the ‘project mode’ to the ‘commercialisation mode’.

Built to world-class specifications, the stadium made headlines in 2016 when it won four awards, including the David Vickers Award for New Stadium Venue of the Year 2016 (International), at the annual event in Madrid.

Drainage facility

In November last year, its excellent drainage facilities ensured a packed house of 52,000 get their money’s worth after India faced off New Zealand in an eight-over-each T20 cricket match after monsoon rains intervened. This had made national headlines.

“Our idea is to become the DMRC of sports and sports infrastructure business,” Ajay Padmanabhan, Chief Operating Officer, IL&FS Township & Urban Assets, told BusinessLine .

“Its all about how to build [a stadium], and how not to build it. This is our flagship sport infrastructure project. We have made huge learnings from here. The State government here has been totally supportive,” said Padmanabhan. This is the best time to be in the business, given the all-round interest and support from government.

A huge number of spectators and TV viewers have ensured instant recognition to sport stars. Sports is no more about sports, but the business of sports.

World-class asset

There is big money involved in running and maintaining these projects and hosting major events, Padmanabhan points out. Just Look at IPL, which has gone on to become a multi-billion brand cricket event today.

“Our idea was to build a world-class asset in Kerala. It is exactly what it has proved to be. It is FIFA- and ICC-compliant. The Sports Hub is also the country’s first DBOT business in sports infrastructure,” he said. But associated costs make it very difficult to run and maintain such a huge infrastructure built over 37 acres.

“It is just not enough for us to host one or two sport events alone and sit back.” So, the facility has been designed to integrate sport, recreation and leisure. Its other revenue streams include the indoor sports arena, a club house, a convention and exhibition centre, an Olympic-size swimming pool and four-star guest rooms.

The retail block already comprises a multiplex with five screens, and would soon house a hypermarket and branded stores. An in-house Gymkhana Club is a destination for a rare confluence of sports, recreation, leisure and lifestyle.

Club House facilities include 12 badminton courts, four tables for table tennis, two basketball courts, a squash court, chess, caroms and snooker (two pool tables), indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gym, library, cafe and kid zone.

The Sports Hub is also bringing the ‘arena district’ concept into play, in which it offers itself as an area of entertainment and engagement for the neighbourhood community.

The five screens put up by the Carnival Cinemas go to satiate this need of the public. Weddings are already happening at the convention centre, which can accommodate 3,000 people and has a car park for 2,000 cars.

Increasingly, corporate events and community fairs are also being held. “We write documents for a contract to ensure safety of the greens and the pitch, which is ring-fenced,” said Padmanabhan.

“Going forward, we propose to bring in in ArmorDeck synthetic turf protection flooring so that we can throw open the stadium for concerts or ‘stadium theme wedding parties’ without harming the greens. So, one can now get married in a stadium.”

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