Dasharath Rangasala

Coordinates: 27°41′42″N 85°18′53″E / 27.6951°N 85.3148°E / 27.6951; 85.3148
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Dashrath Rangasala
दशरथ रंगशाला
The stadium during the 2022 SAFF Women's Championship Final
Map
LocationTripureshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal
Coordinates27°41′42″N 85°18′53″E / 27.6951°N 85.3148°E / 27.6951; 85.3148
OwnerGovernment of Nepal
OperatorAll Nepal Football Association (ANFA)
Capacity41,000 (2013 B.S.) , 30,200 (Capacity decreased due to renovation)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1956
Opened1958
Renovated2019
Tenants
Nepal national football team

Dasharath Rangasala (Nepali: दशरथ रङ्गशाला ; transl.Dasharath Stadium)[1] is a multi-purpose stadium in Tripureshwar, Kathmandu. It is named after Dasharath Chand, one of the four great martyrs of Nepal.

The stadium is used mostly for football matches and cultural programmes. It has floodlights installed, to facilitate matches and events in the evenings. Most of Nepal's national and international tournaments are held in this stadium. Nepal's primary football division, Martyr's Memorial League, is also held on this ground every year.[2] The stadium has also been the only host of the inaugural 2021 Nepal Super League season.[3]

History

The main stand of the stadium in 2011
The earthquake-damaged stadium in 2018

The stadium was built in 1956. It was renovated in 1998 to host the 1999 South Asian Games. In 2011, it was renovated again to host the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

As Nepal's biggest stadium, it has hosted many important events. The 2012 AFC Challenge Cup and the 2013 SAFF Championship were held here, with the Halchowk Stadium hosting some of the matches as well. Numerous cultural festivals and musical events took place here as well. The 2011 concert of Bryan Adams was held in this stadium and was his first rock concert in Nepal.

The stadium suffered damage from the April 2015 earthquake that hit Nepal.

After the earthquake, the stadium was renovated for the third time and the opening was done again on 1 December 2019 for the 2019 South Asian Games.[4]

Major catastrophe

On 13 March 1988, about 30,000 people were present in the stadium to watch a match between two clubs from Nepal and Bangladesh when a hailstorm broke out, causing a stampede as the supporters tried to escape the stadium. According to reports, about 93 people died in the stampede, including two police officers and a 12-year-old child. More than 100 people were hospitalized with injuries. It was considered one of the worst catastrophic events in the history of sports.[5]

Major sports events

Major music and cultural events

See also

References

  1. ^ "Dasarath Rangasala Stadium". stadiumdb. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  2. ^ "MMC, Brigade pull off struggling wins". Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Nepal Super League Franchises unveiled". The Kathmandu Post. 14 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Renovation of Dasharath Rangasala". Himalayan Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  5. ^ "93 Die in Nepal Stadium Stampede: Soccer Fans Rush to Locked Exits in Sudden Hailstorm". Los Angeles Times. 13 March 1988. Retrieved 1 December 2019.