Olympic Stadium, Multi-purpose sports stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a capacity of 30,000. Designed by Vann Molyvann, it was built using 500,000 cubic meters of earthworks. The complex includes Olympic-size swimming and diving pools and an indoor volleyball arena seating up to 8,000.
Construction of the National Sports Complex began in 1963 and was completed in 1964. Architect Vann Molyvann moved 500,000 cubic metres of earth to shape the grounds. The stadium was intended for the 1963 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, which were cancelled due to political problems. It later hosted the 1966 GANEFO games and two 1966 World Cup qualifiers between North Korea and Australia in November 1965.
The stadium's Khmer name, ពហុកីឡាដ្ឋានជាតិអូឡាំពិក, means National Olympic Stadium, though it has never hosted an Olympic Games. Its indoor arena, seating up to 8,000, hosted Ronan Keating's 2007 concert, the first by a major international act in Cambodia, and the 2007 World Cup for disabled volleyball, Cambodia's first major international sporting event in over 40 years.
The venue is open to visitors who can access it for daily exercise and community activities. Sporting events and concerts run throughout the year, so checking what is scheduled before arriving helps plan your visit.
During the 1965 World Cup qualifying match between North Korea and Australia, local authorities instructed half the crowd to cheer for Australia. This measure aimed to maintain the venue's neutrality and shows how the location played a role in regional sporting disputes.
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