Wikipedia

Basra International Stadium

Basra International Stadium (Arabic: مدينة البصرة الرياضية) is a sports complex in Basra, southern Iraq.

Basra International Stadium
اِسْتَاد الْبَصْرَة الدُّؤَلِيّ (in Arabic)
ملعب جذع النخلة
Basra International Stadium in 2022
Map
Full nameBasra International Stadium
LocationBasra, Iraq
OwnerGovernment of Iraq
Capacity65,227[2][3]
Acreage2,770,000 GSF
SurfaceTrack & Field (Grass)
Construction
Broke ground1 January 2009
Built2009–2013
Opened12 October 2013
Construction cost£550 million [1]
Architect360 Architecture And Newport Global
Project managerNewport Global
Structural engineerThornton Tomasetti
Services engineerAbdullah Al-Jaburi
Main contractorsAbdullah Al-Jaburi
Tenants
Iraq national football team

Overview

edit

Its construction started on 1 January 2009 and was completed on 12 October 2013. The sports city was funded by the government of Iraq with a budget of $550 million. It contains a main stadium with a capacity of 65,000 people, a secondary stadium with a capacity of 10,000, four five-star hotels and other sports-related facilities.[4][5]

The contract for this project was given to Abdullah Al-Jaburi, a major Iraqi construction contractor, and two American companies, 360 architecture and Newport Global.[6]

The main stadium is a multilevel structure with 65,000 capacity, 20 suites, and 230 VIP seats. The complex also has VIP lounges and restaurants, spectator facilities, 205 VIP underground parking stalls and a tunnel connecting the main stadium to the secondary stadium. The secondary stadium has a capacity of 10,000.[7][8] The basic structure was cast-in-place concrete with precast stadia seating. The roof structure is steel and cantilever 30 meters from the back support column of the upper deck with a 15-meter back-span. The stadium is enveloped with a curtain wall of multidirectional curved elements. The complex has 10,000 parking spaces in total.[9][6]

The stadium is the tenant for Naft Al-Janoob and Al-Mina'a sports clubs who both play in Basra and contest the Basra Derby.

Iraq played their first international home game in four years at the stadium on 1 June 2017, beating Jordan 1–0. It was also the first international game played at the stadium.[10]

On 10 October 2019, Iraq played their first competitive (not friendly) international game at home after eight years against Hong Kong. The result was a 2–0 win.[11]

in 2023, a stampede outside Basra International Stadium in Iraq,[12] hours before the Arabian Gulf Cup final match between Iraq and Oman, resulted in at least one death and several injured.[13][14]

Name

edit

The official name is Basra International Stadium but an other appellation is also recurrent in Iraqi sports circles and commonly used in arabic as a nickname : ملعب جذع النخلة which literally means Palm Trunk Stadium.[15][16] This denomination, also reflected in the external facade of the stadium which is inspired by the undulating bark of the date palm trees, is a clear reference to one of the characteristics of the city of Basra, well known for the cultivation and planting of vast fields of date palm trees.[17][18]

Gallery....

edit
  •  
    Exterior view of the stadium at night
  •  
    Flag bearers entering the pitch followed by both teams, Zamalek SC and Al-Zawra'a SC as well as a crowd of journalists and photographers, during the opening ceremony
  •  
    Second opening friendly match between Zamalek and Al-Zawra'a

Events

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Basra International Stadium - Basra". Stadiums World. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  2. ^ Basrah International Stadium. gpsmartstadium.com.
  3. ^ "برنامج استوديو الجماهير ضيف الحلقة المهندس عبدالله عويز الجبوري 20/2/2017" – via YouTube.[dead YouTube link]
  4. ^ "Building 4 Olympic stadiums in Iraq". Al-Arabiya. 27 May 2012.
  5. ^ Andrew S. Ross (2009-11-12). "S.F. firm to help design Basra soccer stadium". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  6. ^ a b Muret, Don (2 February 2009). "360 Architecture sees an opportunity in Iraq". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  7. ^ Alhakim, Amer (13 February 2009). "Basra governor says U.S. firm to build half billion dollar sports city - federal officials say otherwise". www.aipsmedia.com. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Basrah Sports City | Thornton Tomasetti". www.thorntontomasetti.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  9. ^ "50 companies compete to design sports city in Basra". Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  10. ^ "History is made as Iraq beat Jordan in the first game at Basra Sports City" (PDF). Iraqi-Football.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ "Iraq 2-0 Hong Kong: Iraq hosts competitive football for first time in eight years". BBC Sport. 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  12. ^ "Stampede outside stadium in Iraq kills 2, injures dozens". AP News. 2023-01-19. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  13. ^ AFP (2023-01-19). "One dead, dozens injured in stampede ahead of Iraq-Oman Arabian Gulf Cup final". Sportstar. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  14. ^ "Photos: Deadly stampede at Basra stadium ahead of Gulf Cup final". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  15. ^ "تعرف على ملعب "جذع النخلة" في البصرة". alarabiya.net. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  16. ^ "جذع النخلة» أفضل من ملعب الأولمبياد ومنتخب الخليج في الافتتاح". alwasatnews.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  17. ^ "Basra International Stadium: A beacon of sporting hope for Iraq". sportindustryseries.com. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  18. ^ "Basrah Sports City". architectmagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  19. ^ "AFC President congratulates Air Force Club for third AFC Cup title". the-afc.com.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Basra Sport City.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Basra_International_Stadium&oldid=1253888393"