After decades of delays: Work to resume on Kirkuk Olympic Stadium

Shafaq News – Kirkuk

Work on Kirkuk’s Olympic Stadium will restart next week after fresh funding from Iraq’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and intervention by the Ministry of Planning resolved long-standing technical and financial hurdles.

Director of Youth and Sports Uday Awad told Shafaq News on Friday that the Turkish contractor will resume operations immediately and aims to complete the remaining work by year’s end.

Originally built in 1982 with a capacity of 25,000, the stadium underwent reconstruction beginning in 2011 to meet international standards. Progress, however, was repeatedly halted due to administrative inefficiencies, shifting oversight across four federal governments, and persistent budget shortfalls.

For decades, the venue has been Kirkuk’s leading sports facility—hosting Iraq Premier League matches, local fixtures, athletics competitions, and youth festivals. After 2003, it also served as temporary shelter for displaced families.