Speculating Kerala Olympics 2020

Kerala Tourism Vision can be achieved only by getting every one involved. To get everyone involved there must be a common goal and a challenging situation where each one could participate in the team effort.

Let’s consider bidding for the Olympics in 2020 and competing with other countries (including the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, which has already started preparations in this regard from 2000 onwards).
The rationale behind the proposal for Kerala bidding is that Olympics is the largest human event where every country participates.
It is based on healthy competition among individuals representing their country.

It requires very good infrastructure to support the event and large gathering of people from different parts of the world.
Kerala is a leading player in the Sports and Games scene in India with world class athletes/sports personnel.
Kerala has already achieved quality of life comparable with that of the developed countries

Kerala economic development model is based on equitable and ethical considerations. (This could be extended to the planning and execution of bidding and/or managing the Olympics here – by promoting a good Public-Private-Participation model.)
Kerala is a biodiversity hot spot of the world with reserve forests and fragile ecological areas which need to be protected. If we could develop a plan to organize events like this without compromising the environment, it will be another model for others to learn from us.
Kerala has a rich tradition of accepting different cultures for many millennia – Chinese, Arabic, Greek and Egyptian civilizations had trade and cultural relations with the rulers of Kerala from pre-historic period itself. Later, St. Thomas reached Kerala believed to be in the year AD 52 and the European colonialists from the 15th century.
The sustainable development concept is gaining inroads to the management of Olympics and this will benefit our society in general.
Kerala has a very strong man power and financial base (NRKs) which could be tapped for the event. There are already people involved in the planning and execution of major sports events from Kerala which will add to our knowledge organisation.

When we think of the developing infrastructure, there are already 3 international airports and one more is in the pipeline. These have good connectivity with other domestic airports.
There is a good harbour and we could develop 2/3 more in the course of time.

The rail network and suburban rail system could be improved. (London is planning to bring maximum number of people through their rail network. They are even planning to extend Trans-EU-Asia rail network covering 27 countries upto India and China by 2012.)
The road network within the State will be developed to meet the demand, when the proposed widening (4 line) of NH 47 and 7 will take place.

The sports complexes, stadiums and other infrastructures could be developed within the lands of existing educational institutions (colleges and Universities), so that later it could be maintained and used by them. This will also ensure widespread dispersal of the event to the entire state, rather than concentrating in one single area.
While planning and deciding this (Kerala Olympics 2020) as our long term goal, we should get associated with:Olympics Committees of Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012).
An international sports management and training institute, like the IMG Bharata Academy of Andhra Pradesh (which is established in a 400 acre land donated by the Government and with an investment outlay of Rs. 7,000 million. The MoU clearly states that they will help Andhra to host major international sports events until Olympics 2020 and also to create world class training facilities. One might remember the grand opening of the Afro-Asian games inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu who declared the dream of bidding for Olympics in 2020).
Organisations such as WWF for Nature, BioRegional, Green Globe Asia Pacific and the like could be asked to get involved from the planning stage itself.

When we have a challenging and achievable target it will boost the morale and motivation levels of people which will result in better productivity through focused action. It is the private sector tourism industry players who should take the initiative for such long term plans along with the policy support from Government departments. Hope this proposal of Kerala Olympics 2020 would be an ideal one for all of us.