The KMC Football Stadium, is an association football stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, with a capacity of around 15,000.[2] The stadium is owned by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. The stadium's name has changed in step with Karachi's civic administration. It was originally named after the Karachi Municipal Corporation, later became the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Stadium in 1976, was known as the CDGK Stadium during the City District Government Karachi era (2001–2010), and reverted to KMC Football Stadium after the KMC was restored in 2011.
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 12ft wall.[4]
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.[4]
The stadium also had their own club called KMC FC, which was formed in the same decade in which the venue was established.[6]
1968–2000
Pakistan national football team in a friendly against CSKA Moscow from the Soviet Union at the KMC Stadium on 28 February 1969
In 1968, the stadium hosted its first tournament, which featured teams from former East Pakistan.[4]
The stadium, originally named after the Karachi Municipal Corporation, was renamed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Football Stadium following administrative restructuring in 1976.
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]
The venue hosted the 2009 Karachi Football League final between Shahzad Mohammadan and Nazimabad FC, with 15,000 people in attendance.[15][16]
2011–present
After the restoration of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in 2011, the stadium once again came under KMC's management, and reverted its name to KMC Stadium.
↑"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)
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