 | |
| Location | Mari Abad, Quetta, Pakistan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°11′15″N67°02′06″E / 30.1874°N 67.0351°E |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Surface | Artificial turf |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2014 |
| Renovated | 2023 |
| Architect | Syed Muhammad Raza |
The Qayyum Papa Stadium, also known as Qayyum Ali Changezi Stadium, [1] is a football stadium in Mari Abad, Quetta, Pakistan. It has the capacity to accommodate up to 10,000 spectators. [2] The stadium has also been used on occasion to celebrate the Hazara culture day. [3] [1]
The stadium was initially built by MPA minister Syed Muhammad Agha Raza in 2014, named after footballer Qayyum Ali Changezi who played for the Pakistan national team in the 1950s and 1960s. It was initially intended to engage local youth in sports and providing a safe environment to deter them from harmful activities like drug use. [2]
In 2019, a Ramazan tournament was held at the stadium where the teams from Quetta and specifically from the Hazara community would play in the venue. [4] In 2020, the stadium also was one of the three venues in the All Pakistan Chief Minister Balochistan Gold Cup Football Tournament, which was held after a lapse of 17 years by the provincial minister Abdul Khaliq Hazara, featuring 21 teams.
Over time, neglect, mismanagement, and funding issues led to the stadium falling into disrepair. Renovation started in February 2023, led by provincial minister Abdul Khaliq Hazara. [2]
In May 2023, the venue was used to hold football matches in the 34th 2023 National Games of Pakistan, which were held after almost 19 years in the province of Balochistan. [5] [6] In July 2023, the stadium became the first-ever synthetic turf football ground in the province of Balochistan, after transitioning from natural grass to artificial turf. [7] [8]
Quetta is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the tenth largest city in Pakistan, with a population of over 1.6 million. It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Quetta is at an average elevation of 1,680 metres above sea level, making it Pakistan's only high-altitude major city. The city is known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the numerous fruit orchards in and around it and the large variety of fresh and dried fruits produced there.
Ayub National Stadium, formerly known as the Baluchistan Cricket Association Ground, is a multi-purpose stadium in Quetta, Pakistan. It is currently used mostly for hosting football matches. The ground is part of the Ayub Sports Complex, which contains the football pitch, tartan track, two halls for indoor games, handball court and two hockey turfs. It is located next to the Bugti Stadium used for cricket.
Lt. Col. (R) Younus Changezi is a politician and former football player and manager. He played for the Pakistan national team from the 1960s till early 1970s, and was later appointed as manager in the 1980s. He also served as a soldier in the Pakistan Army in the 1971 war.
Balochistan Police or Baloch Police is responsible for policing urban Balochistan, Pakistan. Its strength is 150,000 as of 2023.The current Inspector General of Police, Balochistan is Rao Sardar Ali Khan.
Hazara Town is a lower- to middle-income area on the western outskirts of Quetta, Pakistan, of which an almost all the residents are ethnic Hazaras, with a small population of Pashtuns and Baloch.
Changezi is a Turkic-origin surname in Pakistan and India. It is the equivalent of Iranian and Afghan Changizi. This surname is taken from the name of Changez khan and/or his military that came to the West and South Asia. It is common among Moghol, Mughal, Hazara, Aimaq, and some Turkic peoples within Central, South and West Asia in particular.
Abdul Khaliq Hazara is a Pakistani politician in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. He has been the Chairman of Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) since November 2010, and has been a member of the Quetta city council.
Jan Ali Changezi is the former Minister for Quality Education in Balochistan. He started his political career when he was a student. He belongs to the Pakistan People's Party and served as the Deputy General Secretary of the People's Party in Balochistan from 2011 to 2016. He is multilingual and can speak and write in English, Urdu, Dari, and Pashto. He has visited many countries including Afghanistan, Iran, the UAE, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. He is the only Hazara politician in any federal party and the first Hazara to reach first category leadership in Balochistan.
Air-Marshal Sharbat Ali ChangeziHI(M) SI(M) SBt, , is a retired three-star air officer in the Pakistan Air Force and a former fighter pilot who led the aerial operations in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and 1971.
The persecution of Hazaras in Quetta, is a series of ethnic or religious motivated attacks on Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan.
Ahmed Ali Kohzad is a prominent Hazara Politician in Quetta Pakistan and General Secretary of Hazara Democratic Party. He has been elected as member of Provincial Assembly of Balochistan from PB-26 (Quetta-III) in 2018 Pakistani general election. He completed his political science degree from Balochistan University and since then he has been active in politics and a member of Hazara Student Federation.
Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2018 include:
The 2019 Quetta bombing was a suicide bomb attack on an open marketplace in Quetta, Pakistan on 12 April, killing 21 people. The bombing took place near an area where many minority Shiite Muslims live. At least ten Hazara, including nine Shiites, were among the dead. Two paramilitary soldiers were also killed in the bombing. PM Imran Khan expressed condolences for the lives lost, directed the authorities to ensure the best medical treatment for the injured, and ordered an increase in security for Shiites and Hazara people. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and ISIL later accepted responsibility for the attack, stating that "their target were Hazara people."
On 3 January 2021, a group of Islamic State (IS) militants killed 11 Hazara coal miners after being kidnapped in Machh, Balochistan, Pakistan.
The 2023 National Games of Pakistan was the 34th edition of the National Games of Pakistan. The event was held in Quetta, with some disciplines taking place in Islamabad, Jhelum, Karachi, and Lahore. Quetta hosted the Games for the first time since 2004, when the city hosted the 29th edition. The Balochistan Sports Department hosted the event in collaboration with the Pakistan Olympic Association.
Qayyum Changezi was a Pakistani footballer who played as a forward. Considered as one of the earliest legends in Pakistan football history, he was known for his leadership, free kicks, and goal-scoring abilities.
Rajab Ali is a Pakistani professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Pakistan Premier League club Khan Research Laboratories and the Pakistan national team.