Ghazi Stadium
Ghazi Stadium (Pashto: غازي لوبغالی) (Persian: ورزشگاه غازى) is a multi-purpose stadium in eastern Kabul, Afghanistan, mainly used to play football.[2] It is sometimes called by other names such as the Afghan Football Federation Stadium. It was built during the reign of King Amanullah Khan in 1923, who is regarded as Ghazi (Hero) for the Afghan victory in the Third Anglo-Afghan War and gaining independence for his nation after the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919. The stadium has the capacity to house 25,000 people.
National football stadium of Afghanistan | |
 Scene at the stadium after a special ribbon cutting event December 2011 | |
| Full name | Ghazi Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | District 16, Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Owner | Afghanistan National Olympic Committee |
| Capacity | 25,000[1] |
| Surface | Artificial turf |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1923 (97 years ago) |
| Opened | 1923 |
| Renovated | 2011 |
| Tenants | |
| Afghanistan national football team Maiwand Kabul FC Kabul Bank F.C. Seramiasht F.C. Javan Azadi Kabul F.C. Hakim Sanayi Kabul F.C. | |
The Ghazi Stadium was renovated in 2011 after the entire ground was removed and replaced with new soil[3] and artificial turf placed on top. The stadium now holds bigger sporting events.
Events
The first international match played inside Ghazi Stadium was a football (soccer) match between Afghanistan and Iran on January 1, 1941, the game was a draw with neither team scoring.[1] In 1963, American musician Duke Ellington held a concert here as part of his tour sponsored by the US State Department.[4]
During the late 1990s the stadium was used as a venue for public executions by the Taliban government.[3]
The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches between teams from different provinces of the country as well as international matches.
The stadium has also housed training facilities for the country's national women's boxing team, as documented in the film The Boxing Girls of Kabul.[5]
Upgrade
On December 15, 2011, the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee celebrated the re-opening of the newly renovated Ghazi in Kabul. Hosted by the Afghan Olympic Committee, the event was attended by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Afghan Olympic President Lieutenant General Mohammad Zaher Aghbar, and Commander of International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan General John R. Allen.[3]
The event, which also included nearly 5,000 spectators, featured a parade of athletes on the track, opening remarks, a ribbon cutting, and two abbreviated football matches involving both men's and women's football teams. The upgraded playing field will be FIFA certified allowing for future matches to be internationally sanctioned.[3]
See also
- Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium which opened in 2012 and has a capacity of 5,000
References
- Jeong, May (October 15, 2013). "Afghanistan United". Roads & Kingdoms. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- "Afghan Premier League". APL.
- Nucelli, Nicole (December 28, 2011). "Afghanistan's Ghazi Stadium Enjoys Renaissance". Blog. U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- Whitlock, Monica (20 September 2013), When Duke Ellington played Kabul, BBC
- Vlessing, Etan (30 April 2012). "NFB's 'The Boxing Girls of Kabul' Acquired by In Demand". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- Kashyap. "5 football stadiums around the world rumoured to be haunted: #2 Ghazi Stadium - Kabul". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2014-11-11.
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