[1]Come April and kids utilise every inch of available space to be at their playful best. And, the intermittent rains have so far not doused the enthusiasm of those taking part in the summer camps.
Outdoor games such as football, cricket, roller skating and athletics are attracting a lot of children. The summer camp at Regional Sports Centre in Kochi is one place where you can witness a balance between outdoor and indoor games.
Swimming is the most sought-after activity and more than 500 kids have enrolled in for the sport at the centre. Surprisingly, just a stone throw away on the artificial turf, there are around 300 kids lined up to kick football, the second most popular game.
“There has never been any change in trends, kids are enjoying it all and you can see that despite our indoor facilities, there hasn’t been any drop in number for outdoor games like football. You can see kids playing even if there is a drizzle, just like our childhood days,” says Manohar Prabhu, secretary of RSC.
Badminton is the third most popular one, with at least 270 participants, considering the centre is one of the best training arenas for shuttlers. Meanwhile, roller skating and basketball have over 100 players each. Roller Skating has been a popular sport, not just at RSC, but at other camps as well.
Meanwhile, games such as cricket have been affected due to rains, but a few indoor cricket facilities have sprouted across the state. The indoor nets in Perinthalmanna is one of the best places to practice cricket.
“There are quite a few indoor cricket centres, but ours is a full-fledged one with bowling machines as well. We conducted our under-16 selection trials indoors and it was a success,” said Santosh Kumar, secretary of Malappuram district cricket association.
Be it indoors or outdoors, under sweltering heat, or getting soaked in the rain, kids are enjoying their summer.
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