Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (locally known as Kaloor International Stadium) is an international stadium in Kochi, Kerala, India. With a capacity to hold 60,000 spectators, the stadium was built in 1996 during the tenure of K. Karunakaran as Chief Minister of Kerala. The stadium in Kochi is considered to be the fifth largest in India and the third largest cricket stadium in India after the Eden gardens and the stadium in New Delhi.
Originally constructed as a football stadium, it has played host to a number of international cricket and football matches. The extensive grounds of the stadium serve as venue for important exhibitions, cinema events and political rallies in the city. The stadium is quipped with floodlights for night play. The architecture of the stadium is unique compared to other stadia in India.[citation needed].The Most Innovative aspect of the stadium is its unique Lighting Towers of 2 kW Floodlights which when switched on fully can provide Lighting levels for HDTV telecast.The Structure of the tower is itself one of a kind in India.The four Lighting towers stand like the Vivaldi's Four Season Quartet,in silent symphony during the day. The major cricket teams here include the Kerala cricket team. The football teams Viva Kerala and FC Kochin play here.
Established in 1996 - 97
Capacity - 75,000
Ground type - Grass
Flood Lights - Yes 388 2KW Metal Halide Floodlights
Home team - Viva Kerala and FC Kochin
History
The first tournament conducted was the Nehru Cup International Football Tournament in 1997. The highest attendance of audience was recorded in this tournament for India v/s Iraq match (nearly one lakh people attended, thus overcrowding the stadium). But the highest money grosser was made in a cricket ODI match between India and Pakistan on April 2005. The first ODI played on the ground was between India and Australia on April 1, 1998. And the last being on October 2, 2007 between India and Australia. The second ODI between India and Australia of the Future cup was played in Kochi on October 2,2007. Australia won the match by 84 runs. The rain was thought to play spoilsport but it didn't create any problem. An attendance of over 85,000 is being reported though not confirmed,thus it gives a clear idea that Kochi is indeed the cricket capital of Kerala. And to support the statement the Kerala cricket association(KCA)have decided to build a new stadium exclusively for cricket,and it will come up in Ernakulam district where the city of Cochin lies. KCA is looking forward to acquire around 30 acres of land in Kochi and the stadium will be built to include crowd of 50,000. As per KCA's decision the stadium will come up by 2010 and thus Kochi will set to host day and night matches and will also become a test venue.
In 2006, the stadium is to undergo a major renovation, including a new PVDF coated fabric roof. Another recent development has been a new four-lane road from the south of the stadium which has made access easier from that side.
