President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of Khankendi Stadium on 7 November following its extensive redevelopment.
Fanat.az reports, citing AZERTAC, that Minister of Youth and Sport Farid Gayibov briefed the head of state on the facilities at the stadium.
It was noted that Khankendi City Stadium opened in 1956. In 2023, the city of Khankendi was liberated from Armenian occupation following an anti-terror operation carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Extensive redevelopment of the stadium began after that.
Khankendi City Stadium has undergone a major renovation to meet UEFA Category 3 standards. The stadium site has been expanded to 3.39 hectares.
The stadium has a total capacity of 8,554, comprising 8,214 standard seats and 251 seats for special guests. A further 59 places are reserved for the media and 30 for people with disabilities.
The football pitch, measuring 105 metres long and 68 metres wide, has been fitted with artificial turf. An athletics area surrounds the pitch, with facilities for the 100 metres and distances from 200 to 10 thousand metres, including races over obstacles, as well as the long jump and other events.
The stadium has rooms for players and technical staff, as well as referees, coaches and media representatives, a conference hall and a medical centre.
The reopening of Khankendi City Stadium following its major renovation is a clear example of state support for sport in Azerbaijan. The project plays an important role in developing sports infrastructure in the territories liberated from occupation, while clearly demonstrating the attention paid to sport and the healthy development of the younger generation in Azerbaijan. The construction of Olympic sports complexes, stadiums and other modern sports facilities across our regions further enhances Azerbaijan’s international reputation as a sporting nation. It is no coincidence that our country now successfully hosts prestigious global sporting competitions, and leading international sports organisations are keen to hold their events in Azerbaijan. Examples include the World Cup and festival for boys under 15 (FIFA U-15), held in our country for the first time, as well as the FIFA U-20 World Cup for men, which will take place next year.
This article was translated from Azerbaijani with the help of AI. Original in Azerbaijani
