KMC Football Stadium

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KMC Football Stadium
KMC Football Ground - panoramio (cropped).jpg
An upper view of KMC Football Ground
KMC Football Stadium
Location Saddar Town, Karachi, Pakistan
Coordinates 24°51′3″N66°59′29″E / 24.85083°N 66.99139°E / 24.85083; 66.99139
Owner City District Government Karachi
Capacity 15,000
SurfaceGrass
Opened1956 [1]
Tenants
KMC football team (1950s–2000s)

The KMC Football Stadium, also known as the CDGK Stadium, [2] is an association football stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, with a capacity of around 15,000. [3] The stadium is owned by the Karachi Municipal Corporation.

Contents

It is one of the oldest stadiums in the country, and has hosted several international test football matches. The Pakistan national team has played here against visiting teams from the Soviet Union, Iran, China, Turkey, Kuwait, Korea, Japan, Germany and USA. [4] [5]

History

Early years

President of Pakistan Ayub Khan (far right) witnessing a football game at the KMC Stadium in 1958. President Ayub Khan witnessing a football game at KMC Stadium, 1958.jpg
President of Pakistan Ayub Khan (far right) witnessing a football game at the KMC Stadium in 1958.

The stadium was built before the partition of British Raj, as a piece of barren land surrounded by a 12 ft wall. [5]

In 1956, in a match featuring Keamari Union against Baloch XI, the pavilion collapsed with close to 100 people getting injured. [6]

The then commissioner of Karachi, Ghulam Ahmed Madni visited the ground after the tragedy, being instructed by the president of Pakistan Ayub Khan, to start the renovation work in 1962. [5]

The stadium also had their own club called KMC football team, which was formed in the same decade in which the venue was established. [6]

1968–2000

CSKA Moscow and Pakistan national football team at the KMC Stadium, Karachi in 1969.jpg
Pakistan national football team captain Murad Bakhsh presenting the team to chief guests, 1969.jpg
Pakistan football team against CSKA Moscow from USSR at the KMC Stadium, 1969.png
Pakistan national football team in a friendly against CSKA Moscow from the Soviet Union at the KMC Stadium on 28 February 1969

During the 1960s, the stadium hosted several friendly matches for the Pakistan national football team against touring sides such as Saudi Arabia in 1967, [7] FC Kairat in 1968, [8] and CSKA Moscow in 1969. [9]

In 1968, the stadium hosted its first tournament, which featured teams from former East Pakistan. [5]

On 8 January 1983, the stadium hosted a match between Pakistan and the German South-West Region team. [10]

In 1989, former KMC football team player turned referee Ahmed Jan was appointed caretaker of the stadium, and continued in that role even after his official retirement from the KMC department in 2011. [11] [12] [13] [14] On 26 August 1999, Jan survived an assassination attempt when two gunmen, in an attempt to take control of the KMC ground, fired several shots at him. [11]

2001–Present

The venue hosted the 2009 Karachi Football League final between Shahzad Mohammadan and Nazimabad FC, with 15,000 people in attendance. [15] [16]

KMC Stadium was one of the two venues for the 2021 National Women Football Championship.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The story of Karachi's KMC football stadium | Sports | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk.
  2. ↑ "Why is PFF ignoring KMC football stadium? - thenews.com.pk". 2012-09-01. Archived from the original on 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  3. ↑ "Tides of time". thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2024-12-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "KMC football stadium remains neglected - thenews.com.pk". 2012-06-04. Archived from the original on 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "KMC Football stadium: Downtrodden glory - ARYSports.tv". 2020-08-07. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  6. 1 2 "The story of Karachi's KMC football stadium | Sports | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  7. ↑ "Pakistan Observer 1967.03.31 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  8. ↑ "Pakistan Observer 1968.03.20 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  9. ↑ "Pakistan Observer 1969.03.01 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  10. ↑ Bhatti, Mukhtar (1999). Pakistan Sports: An Almanac of Pakistan Sports with Complete Records 1947-1999. Bhatti Publications. pp. 237–250.
  11. 1 2 Hasan, Shazia (2014-06-22). "The ground master". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  12. ↑ "Football in Karachi: Diamonds in the rough". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  13. ↑ Ahmed, Sahar (2012-01-24). "In Pakistan's urban badland, soccer offers hope". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  14. ↑ Wasim, Umaid (2017-11-17). "Departmental teams contribute to ensure football survives after FIFA ban". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  15. ↑ "Shahzad M'Dan retain PLF crown". DAWN.COM. February 16, 2009.
  16. ↑ "In-depth: Pakistan football". DAWN.COM. 2013-01-13. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
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