Bahria Town starts building Pakistan’s largest cricket stadium

To have capacity of 50,000; to be built at Bahria Town Karachi; Malik Riaz Hussain says Rafi Cricket Stadium will revive international cricket in two years; we want to create jobs and business opportunities, promote education to build a prosperous Pakistan

KARACHI: Bahria Town Karachi held the ground-breaking ceremony of the Rafi Cricket Stadium to mark the beginning of construction work on the largest and latest cricket stadium in Pakistan on Friday. The graceful ceremony was held at the stadium site, which was attended by top management of Bahria Town and Bahria Town Karachi, legendry cricketers including Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Shoaib Muhammad, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Fawad Alam. Cricket aficionados, residents of Bahria Town Karachi and people from other parts of the city were also present.

The stadium has three levels designed as per the ICC standards with capacity of 50,000, which is the largest in Pakistan. Equipped with floodlights, digital scoreboards, LED screens, indoor training facilities and a hostel, this world-class cricket facility will feature an international standard academy for the promotion of cricket in Pakistan.

The cricket stadium is located in Bahria Sports City which is the top choice for those who prefer a healthy and active lifestyle. Offering luxury villas and residential plots, a model villa at Sports City is now open for visit. Chairman Bahria Town Malik Riaz Hussain, who was the chief guest on the occasion, performed the ground-breaking ceremony by pressing the button to start the crane at the site.

Speaking on the occasion, Malik Riaz Hussain said, "The Rafi Cricket Stadium will be built in one and a half years to revive international cricket in Pakistan within the next two years. Not only cricket, we want to revive football and hockey as well. We want to create more employment and business opportunities, spread education to build a prosperous Pakistan."

He further said, "We are also building a highly secured five star hotel (Hyatt Regency), which will be completed with the stadium. It’s very painful to see so much garbage on the streets and we are committed to do whatever we can to rid Karachi of this filth. By virtue of our foolproof security, the residents of Bahria Town Karachi are enjoying a complete sense of security in their gateless homes."

Featuring night safari, night-lit golf course and theme park, the Bahria Town Karachi is all set to boost tourism in the city. Given the level of security and the ongoing construction of Hyatt Regency Hotel at Bahria Town Karachi, the Rafi Cricket Stadium will be an ideal destination for hosting international cricket events.

Designed by world renowned GMP Germany, the creators of Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Rafi Cricket Stadium’s structure has been designed by Boston-based Simpson SGH whereas the façade has been created by SBP Consultants Germany and M&B (Mushtaq & Bilal) Pakistan, MEP is designed by SMC (S. Mehboob & Company) Pakistan, and Pre-Cast Support Consultants are JPC, USA.

The contract for the construction of the stadium has been awarded to Pakistan’s leading construction company, Paragon Constructors (Pvt.) Ltd. "It’s good to see my favorite cricket stars at this ceremony," said a visibly excited Muneeb who is a resident of Bahria Town. "I can’t wait to see international players in action," chipped in Ashar Ali who is a cricket enthusiast. Sarah, an avid follower of women cricket, added, "This stadium will promote women cricket, I’m sure." 

Bahria Town Karachi is all set to unveil Bahria Fountain, the most dazzling dancing fountain in South Asia, which will be a spectacular addition to the coastal city’s tourist attractions. Moreover, 36-hole PGA Standard Night-lit Golf Course is a unique feature of this community. Nine holes are ready and 27 holes will be operational by 31st August 2017.

The Bahria Town, Karachi, is the largest private real estate project in the history of Pakistan where a large number of families are already enjoying the iconic lifestyle, which remains the hallmark of Bahria Town.