Dasharath Rangasala is a multi-purpose stadium in Tripureshwar, Kathmandu. With a seating capacity of 15,000, it is the biggest stadium in Nepal. It is named after Dasharath Chand, one of the four great martyrs of Nepal. New Road Team use the stadium for home games. 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 in this ground every year.
History
Dashrath Rangasala Stadium was built in 1956. It was renovated in 1998 to host the 1999 South Asian Games. In 2011 it was again renovated, to host the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. As Nepal's biggest stadium, the Dasharath Stadium 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. Apart from sports, numerous cultural festivals and musical events take place here. 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. The stadium has been renovated again after the destruction from a massive earthquake and the opening was done again on 1st Dec 2019 on the occasion of 13th South Asian Games. The stadium will host 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification events, after the Gorkhalis having played five matches away from home.
Major Catastrophe
Thousands of football fans were present in the stadium on March 13th, 1988. About 30,000 fans were present in the match between the club of Nepali and Bangladeshi team. According to the reports, about 93 people died including 2 police officers also 12-year-old kid was also stampede. People were trampled and suffocated during the hailstones. More than 100 people were hospitalized with injuries. The wind speed was about 50 mph which resulted in hailstorms, uprooting of trees across the Kathmandu valley. It was considered one of the worst catastrophe events in the history of sports.
