About Us
Regional Sports Centre, Cochin (RSC) is situated in the heart of Cochin City, in four acres of land belonging to Kerala State Sports Council.
More Than Just a Sports Centre, It’s a Legacy
Established in 1993, the Regional Sports Centre (RSC) in Cochin has grown into one of India’s most active and sophisticated sports centres. Spread over 4 acres in the heart of the city, RSC is home to world-class facilities across 35 disciplines of sports & games and hosts 20 round-the-year academies led by experienced coaches. RSC is the only sports centre in India certified with ISO 9001:2015 for both ‘Sports & Games Training Facilities’ and ‘Physical Fitness Centre’ by Quality Research Organization, United Kingdom. With the theme “Sports for Health, Recreation & Competition”, RSC balances competitive training and member use, promoting both champions and healthy citizens. Built under a pioneering Public-Private Participation (PPP) model in 1986, long before national PPP policies were introduced, RSC was developed and maintained entirely with membership fees and corporate sponsorships, without financial burden to the government. RSC remains a shining example of how community-driven sports infrastructure can thrive and inspire.
The club has a total of 6,381 Life Members, 51 Ordinary Members, 5 Temporary Members, 45 Institution Members, 1 Educational Institution Member, and 108 Honorary Members.
The Regional Sports Centre (RSC), Cochin, is an autonomous sports institution governed by a unique three-tier administrative structure. The District Collector, Ernakulam serves as the Chairman, while the Commissioner of Police, Kochi City functions as the President.
Governing Body: Advisory in nature, the Governing Body consists of 30 members, including 20 representatives from the Central and State Governments along with the Local MP, MLA, and Mayor.
Executive Committee: Comprising 18 members, this committee is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Centre. It includes 8 ex-officio State Government officials and 10 elected members.
General Body: The supreme authority of RSC, whose decisions are binding on all members.
All policy decisions and resolutions passed in the Annual General Body, Extraordinary General Body, and Executive Committee Meetings are executed by the Honorary Secretary, who also serves as the CEO of RSC.
Fully Air-conditioned Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium
Justice P. Govindan Nair Indoor Tennis Complex
United India Insurance Kerala’s 1st Artificial Turf & Synthetic Track
RSC Indoor Swimming PoolSkating RinkGolf Training ArenaJimmy George Open GymRSC is home to some of the finest multi-sport facilities in India. Its world-class infrastructure is designed to promote sporting excellence and cater to athletes of all levels.
Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium: Construction began in 1986 and was completed and inaugurated by Smt. Sonia Gandhi on 19th December 1993. Wooden floor area of 20,000 sq. ft. is polished with most expensive anti-skid “BONOTECH” sports wood polish imported by Sweden. Multi sports & games facilities are available in this stadium including provisions for 15 badminton courts or 3 basketball courts or 3 volleyball courts. Indoor cricket is also played here. 10 badminton courts and 1 basketball court are permanently functional on the ground floor. Additional 8 badminton courts, called ‘Sky Courts’, were constructed on the mezzanine floors, 4 each on the Northern and Southern sides of the galleries, that were named after the Badminton Legends, Prakash Padukone and Saina Nehwal. These Sky Courts were inaugurated by Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, President of the Badminton Association of India and the present Chief Minister of Assam, on 10th September 2017.
Justice P. Govindan Nair Indoor Tennis Complex: It comprises of 4 indoor courts and was inaugurated by Padmabhushan Ramanathan Krishnan on 2nd October 2000. The nine-layered imported synthetic playing surface was later inaugurated by his son, Padmashree Ramesh Krishnan, on 12th May 2004.
United India Insurance Kerala’s 1st Artificial Turf & Synthetic Track: Commissioned on 27th February 2011 by Shri M. Vijayakumar, Hon’ble Minister for Sports, and re-laid on 19th November 2018. It has an artificial turf for sevens football, with imported turf from Netherland initially in the year 2011 and re-laid with artificial turf imported from Germany in the year 2018. Jogging track with three lanes, all around the turf, is of 200 meters in circumference with a sprint track with four lanes for 80 meters.
Jimmy George Open Gym: Jointly inaugurated by Shri P. Rajeeve, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Coir & Law and Padmashree P.R. Sreejesh, Hockey legend on 2nd September, 2024, it comprises of 10 nos. Koochie Brand equipments imported from Taiwan, China & Korea and sold with German Safety Certificates. The equipments are installed on two corners, diagonally opposite to each other, 6 on one side and 4 on the other side.
Indoor Swimming Pool: Having a length of 25 meters and width of 10 meters, it is a well-maintained widely used pool and has produced medal winners in Junior Nationals.
Skating Rink: Having a size of 30 meters x 19 meters, the Skating Rink is very popular amongst the youngsters. Roller Skating Hockey is also played here.
Golf Training Arena: Equipped to provide year-round training facilities like driving and putting, for members and athletes aspiring to be golfers. Mini Golf is also played here.
RSC’s infrastructure is continually upgraded to maintain international standards, making it a hub for sporting activities and a nurturing ground for future champions.
From Humble Beginnings to a National Sports Powerhouse
The Regional Sports Centre (RSC) once struggled with minimal resources and inadequate infrastructure. A major turning point came in 2011 with the commissioning of Kerala’s first Artificial Turf & Synthetic Track, sponsored by United India Insurance Co. Ltd., transforming RSC into a premier sports hub.
The increase in Family Life Membership Admission Fees and the development of world-class facilities attracted significant public funding. Life Membership, which cost just ₹300 in 1986, scaled up to ₹10,000 by 1993 and ₹8 lakhs in 2025, remaining a refundable deposit for the health and fitness of members and their families, with the membership freely transferable after a lock-in period of five years.
Despite day-to-day operational costs of around ₹17 lakhs per month, RSC has been modernized and has become sustainable solely through the trust and support of the public. Today, RSC stands as one of India’s leading sports facilitators.
A Venue for Prestigious Events
35th National Games (Badminton & Table Tennis) – February 2015
9th World Master’s Badminton Championship – September 2017
Pro Kabaddi League (Star TV) – December 2018
Pro Volleyball League (Sony TV) – February 2019
National U19 3x3 Basketball Championship – 2025
Commonwealth Handball & Asian Judo Championships
Nurturing Champions
M.R. Arjun (RSC Badminton Academy) – Member of India’s Thomas Cup Winning Team 2022 in Bangkok.
Tanvi Bhat – Under-14 Asian Series Girls Singles Champion (Doha, 2012).
Arathi Sarah Sunil – Member of India’s Uber Cup Team that won the Bronze Medal 2016; International Women’s Badminton Doubles Title winner; National Women’s Doubles Champion 2024.
Gayathri Rajesh, Gayathri Shankar & Shrijana M. Thapa – National Tennis Circuit performers.
Ms. Sanaa Mathew – International swimmer with multiple Kerala State records; represented India in 50 m Backstroke.
Eshani & Alakananda – Medal winners in the National Junior Aquatic Championships 2024, contributing 4 out of Kerala’s 7 medals.
Coaches of National Repute
Renowned coaches such as Joy T. Antony (Badminton), Sebastian Antony (Cricket), Sajikumar (Swimming), Shankar & Mansingh (Tennis) have brought RSC’s training programmes national recognition.
With over 1,500 members and 700 trainees daily, RSC continues to serve as a centre of sporting excellence.
RSC’s Campaign Against Drug Addiction
“While Drugs invite Death, Sports promotes Life. Get addicted to Sports, not to Drugs.” This powerful message has become RSC’s theme, addressing the alarming rise of drug abuse among youngsters.
RSC believes that the thrill of the game, the discipline of training, and the joy of teamwork give young people a natural high far greater than any harmful substance.
Sports build character, strength, and focus, helping youngsters channel their energy into positive and life-changing pursuits.
As part of this mission, RSC hosts tournaments across various sports and games, with attractive prize money, designed to draw school children and youth towards sports, encouraging them to embrace fitness, friendship, and fair play.
Unique Infrastructure & Future Vision
A highlight of RSC’s engineering innovation is the Sky Courts, mezzanine-level badminton courts named after legends Prakash Padukone and Saina Nehwal. Built at a cost of ₹2.5 crores through member contributions, they have become both an architectural and sporting marvel.
The Centre’s future flagship project is an Olympic-size swimming pool complex spanning 1 lakh sq. ft. over five levels, with two levels of car parking and a multi-purpose stadium on top.
Initially estimated at ₹35 crores in 2014, this ambitious project remains a top priority, alongside plans to expand RSC’s current parking capacity from 66 vehicles to 127 vehicles.
Control Room
One of the most unique features of RSC is its Control Room, a facility rarely found in sports complexes in India. The Control Room, located in the RSC office, is equipped with screens that monitor 118 CCTV cameras, with the option to add 114 more in the future.
Our Public Address System, functioning from the control room, is divided into five zones, which allows announcements to be made either to specific areas or to the entire complex at once. Together, the CCTV cameras and the announcement system help RSC ensure smooth functioning of daily activities while also providing a safe and secure environment for children, ladies, members, and visitors.
Lost or misplaced items can often be traced using the CCTV footage, which is stored for 30 days. The Control Room also manages what is displayed on RSC’s large 12 ft. x 8 ft. LED Wall facing the road, keeping the public informed about important events and messages. The LED Wall also displays advertisements that is a source of income for RSC.
In the near future, RSC plans to introduce biometric, facial recognition, and RFID card–based entry systems. These will make access to all facilities even more secure and help protect valuable installations such as air-conditioning units, the generator room, the incinerator, and other sensitive areas.
Legacy of Leadership
The vision of Founder Secretary Shri M.F. Mundaden, along with the committed contributions of successive Chairmen (District Collectors, Ernakulam) and Presidents (Commissioners of Police, Kochi City), has guided RSC’s growth.
The pivotal efforts of Shri V.J. Kurian, IAS (Chairman, 1991–93) and Shri Loknath Behera, IPS (President, 1992–95) towards the completion of the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium remain a defining chapter in RSC’s history.
Advocate S.A.S. Navaz, IRS (Retd.), current Secretary & CEO, has transformed RSC into a world-class sports complex, serving on the Executive Committee for over 25 years, including more than 15 years as Honorary Secretary.
His leadership emphasizes modernization, transparency, corruption-free governance, strict discipline, and excellence, with particular attention to cleanliness and maintaining top-quality facilities such as toilets, washrooms, and bathrooms. Under his guidance, RSC has become a model institution in sports infrastructure and management.
