Over 200 sports facilities damaged by US-Israeli aggression: Sports Ministry
More than 200 sports facilities were damaged during the 40 days of the U.S.-Israeli aggression on Iran, the country’s Sports Ministry announced.
As the sixth week of the military conflict came to a close with a two-week ceasefire in the early hours of Wednesday, widespread damage to the country’s sports facilities has come to light, with many venues directly targeted or severely impacted.
The complete destruction of the iconic Azadi Indoor Hall in Tehran stands as the most bitter incident faced by Iran’s sports community in the early days of the conflict. Around the same time, the Be’sat Sports Complex in southeastern Tehran was also attacked and sustained significant damage.
As the raids by the Israeli regime and U.S. forces continued, other sports facilities in the Iranian capital – including the Wrestling Federation headquarters, the National Football Center, and the federations for shooting, cycling, volleyball, hockey, tennis, and handball – were affected by the attacks. The Aftab-e Enqelab Stadium also suffered considerable destruction.
Beyond the capital, sports venues in other provinces were also struck. According to figures released by the Legal, Parliamentary, and Provincial Affairs Deputy of the Ministry of Sport and Youth, sports infrastructure in 17 provinces has come under attack and sustained damage.
A total of 203 sports facilities – including indoor halls, swimming pools, artificial turf fields, and administrative buildings – have been damaged in the attacks, with the extent of destruction estimated between 2% and 100%.
Based on assessments, Tehran, Isfahan, Kurdistan, and Markazi provinces experienced the highest levels of destruction to their sports complexes and facilities.
Following an order from Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, plans have been approved for the redesign and reconstruction of the entirely destroyed 12,000-seat Azadi Indoor Hall, with work expected to enter its implementation phase as soon as possible.