places
Changlimithang Stadium
Changlimithang Stadium is the national stadium of Bhutan, in the capital Thimphu. A multi-purpose ground with a capacity of about 15,000, it is the home of the Bhutan national football team and a major venue for archery, and is built on the site of the decisive 1885 Battle of Changlimithang. First constructed in 1974 and refurbished in 2007, it stands at about 2,300 metres, among the highest stadiums in the world.
Changlimithang Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Thimphu that serves as the national stadium of Bhutan. It is the principal venue for the Bhutan national football team, Bhutan Premier League clubs and the women's national selection, and also hosts archery tournaments, mini-football, volleyball and the country's largest public ceremonies. The current capacity is about 15,000, with around 8,369 designated seats following the 2016 reseating works.[1]
At roughly 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) above sea level, Changlimithang is one of the highest competitive football grounds in the world, and visiting Asian Football Confederation sides have repeatedly cited its altitude as a factor in away fixtures.[2] The playing surface is artificial turf measuring 102.4 m by 69.4 m, laid in late 2012 to bring the pitch in line with FIFA standards for international competition.[1]
Historical site
The stadium occupies ground of considerable national significance. It is built on the field of the Battle of Changlimithang, fought in 1885, the decisive engagement that established the supremacy of Ugyen Wangchuck after the series of civil wars between 1882 and 1885. The victory consolidated his political authority across western and central Bhutan, paving the way for his unanimous election as the first Druk Gyalpo and the founding of the Wangchuck dynasty in 1907.[1] Its conversion from a battlefield into the country's main sporting and ceremonial venue is often cited as a symbol of Bhutan's transition from civil conflict to centralised national life.
Construction and renovation
The stadium was first opened in 1974 for the coronation of the fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, with an initial grandstand capacity of around 10,000. A full reconstruction was carried out in 2007–2008 in advance of the coronation of Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, at a reported cost of Nu 230 million, briefly raising the standing capacity above 30,000 for the coronation events themselves.[1]
Floodlights were installed between 2009 and 2011 at a cost of about Rs 13.23 million, enabling night football for the first time. An all-weather artificial turf was then laid in November and December 2012, at a cost of around US$900,000, to coincide with the launch of the national league structure that later became the Bhutan Premier League.[1] Further reseating in 2016 set the present figure of 8,369 seats within an overall capacity of about 15,000.[3] The adjoining traditional archery ground hosts national tournaments and is used during the Coronation Day national tournament and the Yangphel Open.
Football
Changlimithang is the registered home ground of the Bhutan national football team and the centre of organised football in the country under the Bhutan Football Federation. The stadium has hosted Bhutan's qualifying matches for successive FIFA World Cups and AFC Asian Cups, and most Bhutan Premier League fixtures are played at the ground.[4]
The best-known match staged at Changlimithang is The Other Final, played on 30 June 2002 between Bhutan and Montserrat — then the two lowest-ranked national teams in FIFA's world rankings — scheduled to kick off at the same time as the 2002 FIFA World Cup final in Yokohama. Bhutan won 4–0 in front of an estimated crowd of about 25,000 in and around the stadium, the largest gathering it has hosted for a football match.[1]
In the joint preliminary round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Bhutan beat Sri Lanka 1–0 away on 12 March 2015 and 2–1 at Changlimithang on 17 March 2015 — Chencho Gyeltshen scoring both home goals — to advance to the second round of Asian qualifying, the country's best result in FIFA competition. The government declared a half-day holiday for the return leg and Changlimithang sold out hours before kick-off.[5] The subsequent group also brought visits by China, Hong Kong, the Maldives and Qatar; the 6–0 defeat by China on 12 November 2015 was the first time Bhutan had been beaten at home in a competitive senior international.[4]
Public ceremonies and royal events
Beyond sport, Changlimithang is the country's principal venue for state ceremonies. It hosts the central public celebrations on National Day each 17 December and the official birthday celebrations of the reigning monarch and his predecessors, with thousands of citizens in gho and kira attending alongside the diplomatic corps and senior clergy. The stadium was the focal point of the coronation festivities for both the fourth and the fifth kings, and it also served as a public venue during the royal wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema in October 2011.[1] In January 2025 the stadium hosted a concert by Ed Sheeran, the first major international live-music event held in Bhutan.[1]
References
View online: https://bhutanwiki.org/articles/changlimithang-stadium · Content licensed CC BY-SA 4.0