The Kozhikode Corporation has made a controversial decision by refusing to renew its agreement with Gokulam Kerala FC, resulting in the team losing their lease on the EMS Corporation Stadium. The Corporation claims that the decision was prompted by a breach in the maintenance clause, leading to the agreement not being extended.
Gokulam Kerala, who has achieved notable success in recent years, winning the I-League in 2021 and 2022, as well as the Indian Women’s League (IWL) for the past three seasons, expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision. Club president V C Praveen questioned the rationale behind the Corporation’s move, stating, “We don’t understand how the Kozhikode Corporation stadium could decide not to extend our contract. We have been meeting all the requirements in Kerala football. We will be representing India in the AFC next season, and our team has trained here every year and played in various countries. Shouldn’t the Kozhikode Corporation take pride in the fact that a team from Malabar is achieving this? Doesn’t our sporting merit count at all? What message does the Corporation want to send to those interested in investing in Indian football?”
The EMS Corporation Stadium has served as Gokulam’s home ground since the club’s inception in 2017. However, the Corporation made the decision to terminate the contract during a council meeting held last week, leaving the team without a stadium.
Gokulam Kerala didn’t hesitate to highlight the lack of support from the state government, particularly following their recent IWL victory. The club tweeted, “We arrived in Kerala with the trophy, only to receive the news that we have no stadium to play in. Instead of a congratulatory note, the government’s response was disappointing. A great policy decision.” The tweet tagged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, drawing attention to the issue.
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