Ambedkar Stadium
The Dr. Ambedkar Stadium is a football stadium in New Delhi, India. The stadium is named in honour of B. R. Ambedkar, the famous leader of depressed class as well as voice of minorities and social reformer and the architect of the Indian Constitution. It opened in 2007 and has a listed capacity of 25,000. It is currently used for football matches. The stadium has hosted international football finals such as the 2007 Nehru Cup Final and the 2009 Nehru Cup Final, in which it attracted a capacity crowd.
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| Location | Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi, Delhi – 110001 |
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| Owner | Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)[1] |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Field size | 101.0 M x 67.5 M |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 2007 |
| Tenants | |
| Indian Arrows (present) Delhi United S.C. (present) Sudeva Delhi FC (present) Hindustan F.C. (present) Garhwal F.C. Simla Youngs F.C. Delhi FC | |
Name
The stadium is named in honour of B. R. Ambedkar, the famous leader of depressed class as well as voice of minorities and social reformer and chairman of the Indian constituent assembly.
History
Renovation
In 2007, the stadium was renovated and floodlights were installed. In August 2007 the stadium hosted its first tournament under floodlights, the Nehru Cup International Football Tournament 2007.
Controversy
At the start of the 2010–11 I-League season Indian Arrows is expected to play its I-League matches at the stadium but due to the stadium owners, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), holding non-sporting events like parties and weddings on the pitch the pitch looked a mess every single day which forced Indian Arrows to play their matches at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon.
Tenant
These clubs use the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium for most of their home games:
Delhi United S.C. (present)
Garhwal F.C. (present))
Goodwill F.C. (present)
Hindustan F.C. (present)
Simla Youngs F.C. (present)
Sudeva F.C. (present)
Pitch
The Ambedkar Stadium is one of the stadiums to have FIFA approved pitches for FIFA World Cup qualification matches in India. The other being the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai and Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore.
Major matches
The stadium has hosted many football matches in tournaments as well like the Nehru Cup. In 2007 the stadium hosted the 2007 Nehru Cup Final between India and Syria. Then it hosted the 2009 Nehru Cup Final between again India and Syria. Recently, it also hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against UAE.
| 29 August 2007 2007 Nehru Cup Final | India  | 1–0 |  Syria | New Delhi |
Pradeep  44' |
Stadium: Ambedkar Stadium Referee: Sikhrakar Surendra (India) |
| 31 August 2009 2009 Nehru Cup Final | India | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | Syria | New Delhi |
| Renedy 114' |
Report | Diab 120+3' |
Stadium: Ambedkar Stadium Attendance: Approx. 20,000 Referee: Ali Adil (Maldives) | |
| Penalties | ||||
 Lawrence Renedy Chhetri Dias Wadoo A. Ali Surkumar |
Rafe Ayan Haj Mohamad Balhous Al Agha Al Hussain Al Aitoni |
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| 28 July 2011 2014 FIFA WC AFC Qualifier Round2 | India | 2–2 |  United Arab Emirates | New Delhi |
| Lalpekhula 73' Singh 90+2' |
Report | Al Shehhi 39' Al-Wehaibi 71' |
Stadium: Ambedkar Stadium Attendance: 13,000 Referee: Abdul Malik Bashir (Singapore) |
References
- "Ambedkar stadium to host India's World Cup qualifier". The Times of India. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011.