Salt Lake Stadium
Multipurpose stadium in Kolkata, India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK; transl. Vivekananda Indian Youth Stadium),[7][8] is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium located in Salt Lake City, Kolkata, with a capacity of 85,000 spectators.[2] Named after Swami Vivekananda, the stadium is the home ground for multiple football clubs, most notably, East Bengal, Mohammedan and Mohun Bagan. It was the fifth largest sports stadium in Asia by seating capacity.[needs update][9] Prior to undergoing renovations in 2011, it had a seating capacity of 120,000.[10][11] Prior to the construction and opening of Rungrado May Day Stadium in 1989, it was the largest football stadium in the world. The stadium hosted the final match of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, alongside other matches of the tournament.[12][13] As part of security measures for the 2017 U-17 World Cup, the stadium was only open for 66,687 viewers.[14][9]
Salt Lake Stadium | |
Location | Bidhannagar, Kolkata[1] |
---|---|
Public transit | Salt Lake Stadium (Line 2) |
Owner | Government of West Bengal |
Operator | Department of Youth Services & Sports |
Capacity | 85,000 (limited to 68,000 by FIFA from 2017)[2]
Former capacity: List
|
Record attendance | 131,781 (1997 Federation Cup semi-final) |
Field size | 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) |
Surface | Grass (1984–2011) Astro-turf (2011–2015) Bermuda grass (2015–present)[4][5] |
Scoreboard | Yes (manual & digital) |
Construction | |
Opened | 25 January 1984; 40 years ago (1984-01-25) |
Renovated | 2011, 2014,[6] 2016–2017 |
Architect | M. S. Ballardie, Thompson & Matthews Pvt. Ltd. H. K. Sen & Associates |
Tenants | |
India national football team (1984–present) West Bengal football team (1984–present) Emami East Bengal (1984–present) Mohun Bagan SG (1984–present) Mohammedan (1984–present) |
The stadium's record attendance was recorded in 1997 when 134,000 spectators watched the Federation Cup semifinal between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.[15]
The stadium switched back to natural grass from artificial turf as part of the preparations for hosting the U-17 World Cup. The new turf was unveiled in a Kolkata Derby match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan during the 2016 Calcutta Premier Division match.[16]