+30,000-seat stadium halted by funding shortage

Shafaq News - Al-Anbar

Al-Anbar’s Olympic stadium, stalled at 75% of its completion, faces indefinite delays amid funding shortages and planning problems, an Iraqi official reported on Tuesday.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Imad al-Mashhadani, director of Al-Anbar’s Youth and Sports Department, explained that the stadium was scheduled to open this year, but persistent financial constraints have postponed the launch indefinitely.

Designed to hold more than 30,000 spectators, the stadium is among the largest sports facilities under construction in western Iraq. Omar Hussein, a former Ramadi club player, stressed the impact its completion would have on local athletes.

“It would provide a proper training environment and could support a local league matching Anbar’s talent,” Hussein noted. “Without a proper stadium, we have lost the chance to host tournaments and many players stopped playing.”

The stalled stadium project, he added, reflects wider challenges facing Al-Anbar’s sports sector, which continues to struggle with limited funding, weak institutional support and poor infrastructure.

In recent years, the Youth and Sports Directorate has partnered with local initiatives to renovate playgrounds and establish small sports centers. However, these efforts remain limited in scope and lack coordinated planning.