Stade Tata Raphaël
{{Short description|Multi-purpose stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Stade Tata Raphaël
| image = Stade Tata Raphaël lors d'un de l'AS V.CLUB.jpg
| location = Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| coordinates =
| broke_ground =
| opened = {{Start date|1952}}
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner =
| operator =
| surface = Synthetic Lawn
| Constructor =
| construction_cost =
| architect =
| former_names = Stade Roi Baudouin (1952–1967)
Stade du 20 Mai (1967–1997)
| nicknames =
| tenants = DC Motema Pembe
AS Vita Club
| seating_capacity = 50,000
| dimensions =
}}
Stade Tata Raphaël (Father Raphael Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Originally known as Stade Roi Baudouin (King Baudouin Stadium) when it was inaugurated in 1952 and Stade du 20 Mai (20 May Stadium) in 1967, it was used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 50,000 people.
History
The stadium's most famous event was The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman for the Undisputed WBC/WBA Heavyweight Championship that took place on October 30, 1974. Sixty thousand people attended the boxing match.{{Cite news |title=The 20 biggest-ever boxing attendances in history – where does Joshua vs Klitschko rank? |language=en-GB |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2017/04/26/20-biggest-ever-boxing-attendances-history-does-joshua-v-klitschko/george-foreman-v-muhammad-ali/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427081447/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2017/04/26/20-biggest-ever-boxing-attendances-history-does-joshua-v-klitschko/george-foreman-v-muhammad-ali/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 27, 2017 |access-date=2017-09-17}} In what was ranked as a great upset, Ali knocked out the previously undefeated Foreman in eight rounds. The associated music festival, Zaire 74, that took place at the stadium six weeks prior to the boxing match, included stars James Brown and B.B. King.
Following the downfall of President Mobutu Sese Seko's regime in 1997, the stadium was renamed Stade Tata Raphaël after Raphaël de la Kethulle de Ryhove, initiator of the stadium in 1952.
The stadium was the setting for a documentary film about Congolese women's boxing, Victoire Terminus (2008).{{cite news |last=Edwards |first=Russell |date=9 February 2008 |title=Victoire Terminus |newspaper=Variety |format=review |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936145?refcatid=31 |url-status=dead |access-date=15 March 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209011105/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936145?refcatid=31 |archive-date=2013-02-09}}
In popular culture
- Barbara Kingsolver's novel The Poisonwood Bible (1998) includes a passage describing the Rumble in the Jungle taking place at the Stade du 20 Mai (20 May Stadium) while political prisoners are locked up downstairs.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category}}
{{coord|4|20|17|S|15|19|20|E|region:CD_type:landmark|display=title}}
Category:Sports venues completed in 1952
Category:Football venues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Category:Boxing venues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in Africa
Category:1952 establishments in the Belgian Congo
{{DRCongo-sports-venue-stub}}