Estádio Ismael Benigno, Football stadium in Manaus, Brazil.
The Estádio Ismael Benigno, known as the Estádio da Colina, is a football ground in Manaus owned by São Raimundo Esporte Clube, which holds it in a 20-year loan to the Amazonas state government. The pitch is surrounded by a general standing terrace and stands, including a main grandstand opened in 1969; capacity is about 10,400. Floodlights were installed in 1967.
The ground existed as São Raimundo's unenclosed field from at least 1952; the first match as a stadium was a 2-0 win over Princesa Isabel on 27 April 1958, with Santarém scoring the opening goal. The club officially inaugurated stands on 18 February 1961 under the name Estádio Gilberto Mestrinho, and Sport Recife won the first game 8-1. Floodlights arrived in 1967, the main stand in 1969, and in 1977 the club renamed it after Ismael Benigno, the late president who had conceived it.
The ground is called Colina, "hill", for the slope of the São Raimundo neighbourhood where it stands. The club's 1967 floodlights were celebrated with a "Festa da Luz" friendly against Nacional, played in heavy rain before 4,386 paying spectators, and the ground's name honours Ismael Benigno, the São Raimundo president who conceived it.
The stadium is located in the southern part of Manaus and is accessible by local public transportation from downtown. Visitors should prepare for hot, humid weather typical of the region and bring water or sun protection.
The stadium hosted the Suriname national football team in 2000, drawing one of its largest crowds. This match stands out as a memorable international encounter in the venue's sporting history.
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