Doha, November 05 (QNA) – Khalifa International Stadium, one of the oldest stadiums in the Gulf region and Qatar in particular, embodies the Qatari heritage in football by hosting most of the sporting events that took place over the past five decades.
Khalifa International Stadium, which was established in 1976, is considered one of the most prominent football landmarks in the region. Its stands have long witnessed the cheering of people of the Arabian Gulf over the years as they watch the matches of Gulf championships; Arab and Asian sports tournaments; as well as many international friendly matches on different occasions.
Khalifa International Stadium will shine again, this time at the international level when it hosts matches of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The Stadium is set to host matches of the group stage, the round of 16, and the 3rd place match of the 2022 World Cup.
Khalifa International Stadium represents an integral part of the feelings of the sports audience at the Arab and Asian levels, and even globally. It witnessed joys, celebrations, coronations and victories.
The ancient stadium witnessed the cheering of big fans. Perhaps, the most famous of which was the El Clasico match between Argentina and Brazil in 2010, on the sidelines of the International Conference and Exhibition for Sports, in which the Argentine team won.
The stadium, which features an innovative cooling technology to control the temperature of the stadium, and is distinguished by its magnificent dual arches, is the centerpiece of the Aspire Zone and a sports complex that includes the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Hamad Aquatic Complex, Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital, and many other sports facilities.
The Stadium, which was reopened in 2017, is connected through a short pedestrian walkway to the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, indicating this venues both proud history and bright future.
The stadium can accommodate 40,000 fans and has been completely fitted with natural turf that can withstand the Qatari climate and has the highest resistance. The turf is a hybrid, with one developed by Oklahoma State University in the United States and the other developed locally.
Planting it took nine months in Aspire Zone Foundations turf nursery until it reached 14mm in length and was ready to transport and install at the stadium, which has a total floor area of 7,848 square meters.
In addition to being distinguished by hosting many local sporting events and occasions, Khalifa International Stadium was the first stadium through which the State of Qatar announced its readiness to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The Stadium also achieved a new world record for the returfing, completing the project in just 13.5 hours (European standard is 18 hours). More than 80 pieces of equipment and machines were involved in returfing the stadium, carrying 8,250 square meters of natural grass from the turf nursery, located 5-km away from the stadium, and was installed by more than 90 employees and workers. The process started at 5.00 AM on the 16th of April 2017.
Many new buildings and facilities have been added in the area surrounding Khalifa International Stadium over the years, turning into the “Aspire Zone” which is considered a center of sports excellence.
The Torch Doha, the skyscraper hotel built in preparation for the 2006 Asian Games, is one of the most eye-catching additions as it gives a panoramic view of the Stadium and the city of Doha.
Khalifa stadium has a wonderful location within a series of specialized sports facilities, and it is one of the most accessible stadiums for fans given its distinguished location in an active area that includes some of the largest malls, and the nearby metro station.
In the group stage, the stadium will host the match between Croatia and Canada on Nov. 27 in Group F, and the match between Ecuador and Senegal for the first group on Nov.29, and the stadium matches in the group stage will conclude with the match of Japan and Spain on Dec,1 in Group E.
One of the round of 16 matches, which will bring together the first group champion and the second group runner-up, will also be held on its turf, before the stadium matches in the World Cup conclude with a confrontation to determine the third-placed team on Dec, 17. (QNA)