EKA Arena

EKA Arena (formerly The Arena) is a multi-purpose stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, located near Kankaria Lake. The stadium was completed in 2016 and officially opened on 7 October 2016. It was built in a public-private partnership between the Government of Gujarat and SE TransStadia, a company led by entrepreneur Udit Sheth.

EKA Arena
Full nameEKA Arena by TransStadia
Address India
LocationKankaria Lake, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Coordinates23°00′39.7″N 72°35′56.8″E
Public transitJanmarg
AMTS
OwnerTransStadia and Government of Gujarat
Capacity20,000 (10000 more with temporary seats on the pitch area) (outdoor)[1]
SurfaceBermuda Grass
Construction
Opened7 October 2016
Construction costUS$ 82.15 million
ArchitectHolmes Miller & DSP Design Associates
Tenants
ARA F.C. (I-League 2nd Division)
Gujarat Fortune Giants (Pro Kabaddi League)
Website
http://transstadia.com/

The stadium seats 20,000 spectators in its main football configuration. It is capable of being partitioned into a 4,000-seat indoor arena, allowing it to host other sporting events (such as kabaddi and table tennis) and functions

History

TransStadia was established by entrepreneur Udit Sheth after being introduced to British footballer and stadium consultant Paul Fletcher. Sheth sought to build a multi-purpose stadium on an otherwise-unused property in Gujarat,[2] licensing technology from Fletcher's company StadiArena to allow part of the facility to be converted into an indoor arena to maximise its utilisation.[3][4]

Sheth stated that the design of the stadium and its facilities were intended to meet the needs of players, spectators, and broadcasters, including training facilities ensuring there were no obstructed views and adequate fibreoptic connections for Wi-Fi, working with Star Sports officials to plan the necessary infrastructure for broadcasting.[3] He cited Amsterdam Arena, the Tokyo Dome, and Wembley Stadium as influences on its overall design.[5]

The facility cost ₹550 crore to construct, as part of a public-private partnership with the state government; Sheth explained that "the project would not have been viable if we decided to charge commercial market value rent and still expected sports to develop. A regular project will recover money in around five years while we will do it in seven to nine years."[2]

Its indoor arena hosted its facility's first sporting event — the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup—in November 2016.[6] A formal inauguration ceremony was held 30 June 2017, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other political and sporting dignitaries. During a speech at the ceremony, Sheth referred to The Arena as "the most modern stadium in the world".[7][8]

Major events

Kabaddi

The Arena hosted the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016.[6] It has hosted legs of the Pro Kabaddi League, serving as designated home arena of the Gujarat Fortune Giants.

Football

In July 2019, the stadium hosted the 2019 Intercontinental Cup, marking the first international football matches held at The Arena.[9]

It was to host matches during the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup,[10] but the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

See also

References
  1. "TransStadia Pitch". transstadia.com. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  2. "TransStadia, the Rs 550 crore sports complex that may put Gujarat on the global sporting map". Firstpost. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  3. Raje, Aparna Piramal (24 January 2019). "The entrepreneur who built a stadium". mint. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  4. "StadiArena targets US, UK expansion". The Stadium Business. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  5. Pathak, Maulik (10 October 2016). "Arena by TransStadia: A sneak peek into India's first convertible stadium". Mint. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  6. "Kabaddi World Cup 2016, India vs South Korea Highlights: South Korea stun India in opener". Firstpost. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  7. "Narendra Modi Gujarat visit: PM inaugurates Asia's biggest multi-purpose stadium TransStadia Arena; take a look". The Financial Express. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  8. "'The Arena' by TransStadia inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi". The Indian Express. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  9. Vasudevan, Shyam. "Intercontinental Cup: Ahmedabad's EKA Arena's first tryst with international football". Sportstar. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  10. Subramanian, Vishal (18 February 2020). "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2020 schedule revealed - Navi Mumbai to host the final". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  11. "Update on FIFA Club World Cup 2020 and women's youth tournaments". FIFA.com. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
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