(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Baghdad: The 25th Arabian Gulf Cup organizing committee has announced the full preparation for the tournament which is scheduled to take place in Basrah, Iraq from January 6 to 19, 2023.
It will be the second time the tournament will be held in the history of Iraq after the first tournament held in 1979.
Eight teams will participate in this tournament and have been divided into two groups.
Group A includes Iraq (The host), Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen, and they will be playing at Basra International Stadium (Palm Trunk Stadium), whilst the Group B, which includes Qatar, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait will play at Al Mina Stadium.
Ahead of the tournament, the Iraqi authorities have finalized the preparation of the infrastructure of the two aforementioned stadiums, along with training playgrounds for the teams, including luxurious hotels, and the committee in charge has been monitoring the work progress to ensure an adequate prepration.
Basrah has also been fully decorated with billboards welcoming the participants a few days ahead of the launch of the tournament, and the Municipality of Basrah has swiftly painted the sidewalks, planted the streets, and erected the posters in festive atmospheres.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Deputy Chairman of Organizing Committee of Gulf 25, Mohammad Nasser Shakroun, said the committee in charge has concluded all the logistical preparations for the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, including everything related to the opening ceremony.
He added that the organizers are comfortabe with the mechanism put in place in this regard.
Shakroun noted that all the major and training stadiums are fully ready.
'The quality of the stadiums have actually dazzled the tournament organizing company,' he said.
With a few days remaining to the start of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, all preparations have been made for the stadiums hosting the tournament games, alongside the sporting facilities, airports and the routes leading to the stadiums and the accommodation hotels that have been fully prepared for the fans coming from various Gulf states participating in the tournament, including the Iraqi spectators who always do not miss the vital football festivals.
Hotels allocated for the Gulf delegations have been fully equipped and will host VIPs, coaches, and the organizing committees, and large numbers of fans are expected to attend the tournament games.
Several viral videos have shown Basrah people welcoming the Arab guests and brothers in their city, calling on them to enjoy the games, tournament vibes and the generosity of Basrah people.