Kirkuk targets Olympic Stadium reconstruction finish

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Kirkuk Provincial Council on Monday intensified its efforts to complete the long-delayed Kirkuk Olympic Stadium, seeking to open the venue in time to host official matches in the next Iraqi football league season.

Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Hafidh, head of the Council, told Shafaq News that a delegation, including Youth and Sports Committee chief Uday Awad, the director of Kirkuk’s Youth and Sports Department, and a representative of the Iraqi Football Association, visited the stadium alongside project managers and supervising engineers to assess the causes of the delay.

Attributing the setback to the contractor’s failure to meet its obligations, he noted that the Council will coordinate with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to address the remaining obstacles and reach a final solution.

“Discussions with the contractor secured a proposal to complete the remaining work and bring the stadium into operation in line with FIFA requirements,” he added, indicating that the province will provide the funding needed to finish the project.

North Gas Club, one of Kirkuk’s main football teams, was recently promoted to the Iraq Stars League, where regulations require clubs to have a compliant home venue.

Built in 1982 with a capacity of 25,000 spectators, the stadium underwent reconstruction in 2011 to meet international standards. Six Iraqi governments and multiple youth and sports ministers have overseen the project, yet completion remains elusive despite repeated promises to reopen the facility. 

Read more: Kirkuk’s unfinished Olympic stadium drains local clubs