Thong Nhat Stadium degrades before changing clothes

Once a "hotpot" and pride of Ho Chi Minh City sports, Thong Nhat Stadium is now seriously degraded, with many items heavily damaged. These days, preparations for dismantling the stands are underway to implement a renovation project worth nearly 320 billion VND.

Real-world records at Thong Nhat Stadium (Dien Hong ward) show that the work of barricading and preparing the ground for dismantling items is being urgently implemented.

The stand system is currently seriously degraded. Stand B area has been blocked due to lack of safety. The concrete surface is cracked, many wall panels are peeling off exposing steel cores. The seating system is discolored, broken and scattered.

In the area of stands C and D, moss covers along the walkways and steps. Under the stands, the functional room system, athletes' dormitory and sanitation facilities are dilapidated and damp, not meeting minimum living and training standards.

Under the field surface, the athletics track is faded, the rubber layer is peeling and cracked. The competition grass is bumpy and yellowed in many places. The entire lighting system, electronic boards and technical infrastructure of the stadium have expired and are not operating stably.

Faced with serious degradation, this morning (March 24), the project to renovate and upgrade Thong Nhat Stadium officially started with a total investment of nearly 320 billion VND from the Ho Chi Minh City budget. The Project Management Board for Civil and Industrial Construction Investment is the investor, coordinating with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports to implement it.

After completion, the stadium will have a scale of 17,750 seats. Specifically, the project will renovate stand A with 4,268 new seats (including 16 Super VIP seats, 100 VIP seats); renovate stands C and D with 3,699 new seats.

In particular, the B - C1 - D1 stand area will be dismantled to be completely rebuilt with a scale of 1 basement, 3 above-ground floors and 2 stand floors (total floor area of more than 20,300 m2). The grass court, running track, gate system, fence and all technical infrastructure are also comprehensively upgraded.

The project has an expected construction time of 360 days. In which, the A, C, D stands, grass court and runway items will be completed in October 2026 to be ready to serve the X National Sports Games. The B stand cluster is expected to be completed in December 2026 and officially handed over in the first quarter of 2027.