Basra completes 95% of Al-Menaa Olympic Stadium to host 25th Arabian Gulf Cup
The Al-Menaa Olympic Stadium in Basra, Iraq. Photo: Iraqi News Agency
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq completed more than 95 percent of the Al-Menaa Olympic Stadium in the southern city of Basra, according to statements cited by the state news agency (INA).
Director of the Al-Menaa Olympic Stadium project, Hussein Mustafa, stated on Tuesday that the stadium will be among the ones hosting the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup early next year.
“The completion rate exceeded 95 percent, and there are only a few steps left,” Mustafa explained.
Mustafa stated that the implementing company is currently finishing and furnishing the stadium which will be an architectural masterpiece, and one of the most beautiful stadiums in terms of the design that reflects the legacy of Basra.
“The concrete structure of the stadium was designed in the form of waves and the iron structure is in the form of a ship’s mast and sails,” Mustafa elaborated.
Mustafa confirmed that the implementing company finished equipping the locker rooms of players and referees and prepared the doping control room.
Mustafa stressed that the stadium will be ready by the end of this month, early enough before the launch of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup that will be held in Basra early next year.
In September 2022, the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) announced the postponement of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup until January 2023.
Observers question the possibility of holding the tournament in Basra in light of the political turmoil in Iraq, according to Al Bayan newspaper.