Tuesday 15 November 2016, 22:43

Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), Kolkata

The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium is situated in Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India, and is named after Swami Vivekananda who was probably the most influential Indian philosopher of the last 200 years. His birthdate is also celebrated as Youth Day in India. Roughly translated from Bengali, the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan name means the Vivekananda Indian Youth Stadium. Its current capacity is 85,000 and is the largest stadium in India. For the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, the capacity was reduced to 66,600. Before it’s 2011 renovation however, it had a seating capacity of 120,000 and was the second largest football stadium in the world. The record attendance of 131,000 was set in 1997 in a Kolkata Derby match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

The stadium covers an area of 76.40 acres (309,200 m2). It was inaugurated in January 1984, with the Jawaharlal Nehru International Gold Cup Soccer Tournament. The Salt Lake Stadium has since hosted several important international tournaments or matches such as The Pre-World Cup Tournament in 1985, Super-Soccers in 1986, 1989, 1991 and 1994, 3rd S.A.F. games in 1987, USSR Festival in 1988, Charminar Challenger Trophy in 1992, and Jawaharlal Nehru International Gold Cup in 1995. The stadium witnessed a FIFA friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela in 2011. It also hosted Oliver Kahn’s official farewell match for Bayern Munich when they played a friendly against Mohun Bagan. The Salt Lake Stadium hosts the home games of the local clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal who play in the I-League, and Mohammedan S.C., who currently play in the I-League 2nd Division. It was also ISL franchise Atletico de Kolkata's home ground in the first two seasons.