A moment of pride for Arunachal as its Dibang based stadium get FIFA compliance certification

The 2025-26 Arunachal budget sports allocation worth ₹116 crore was fructified by the completion of the Dibang Valley-based stadium that has brought laurels of international recognition for the state.

The mini stadium built in Anini, Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh has caught attention for having brought a proud milestone of receiving official FIFA compliance certification. CM Pema Khandu took to social media to express his appreciation of this achievement and emphasised that it is a start to boosting grassroots-level access to world-class training facilities.

The project has been built with high altitude and variable weather resilient synthetic turf with FIFA compliant UV-stabilised fibres to offer high durability during fluctuating high altitude weather patterns. A shock-absorbent elastic layer has been combined with the ground to prevent athlete injuries in high-intensity events. A stone-based specialised drainage system has also been incorporated to improve structural durability.

The development of new national-level stadiums in Pasighat, Ziro, Daporijo, Tezu, Aalo and Chimpu, along with the Golden Jubilee Outdoor Stadium in Yupia and the DK Badminton Academy, highlights our dedication to strengthening sports infrastructure, CM Pema Khandu said, emphasising the state’s vision of tapping into its rich budding sports talent.

The state declaration of 2025-26 to be the “Year of Youth” has also been upheld by the completion of the Anini Stadium to boost youth participation in sports. The stadium also supports the state's aspiration of incentivising its athletes under its Olympic Sports Mission to support them in the upcoming 2032 and 2028 Olympics. Being built in a public-private model, the stadium also poses as a case study of the aforesaid model’s efficiency, evidenced by the completion of the entire project in three months.