The 2011 Asian Cup's host nation, Qatar, will base itself in Canberra in the lead-up to next year's tournament in Australia, with Cup organisers promising the event will leave a lasting legacy in the ACT.
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But while ACT soccer will benefit from upgrades to lighting at allocated training venues at McKellar and Deakin stadiums, the bulk of the renovations to Canberra Stadium will only be temporary during the Asian Cup in January next year.
The ACT government paid $3.5 million to host seven matches of the Asian Cup, including a quarter final, from January 10 to 23 next year.
Tournament organisers are set to ramp up facility upgrades at Canberra Stadium from next month, including boosting Wi-Fi capacity, renovating corporate facilities for VIP guests and increasing media capacity.
But most of those changes will only be for the duration of the tournament. A new surface was laid last year.
The stadium will also need to be stripped of all sponsorship signage, including naming rights sponsor GIO, during the tournament.
The Asian Cup is the second largest soccer tournament in the world and Asia's biggest sporting event, attracting an international television audience in excess of 1 billion and reported on by some 3500 visiting media.
Chief executive of the Asian Cup Local Organising Committee, Michael Brown, said there had been in excess of $10 million budgeted for facility upgrades across the five host cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Newcastle and Canberra. This equates to an average $2 million per site.
"We'll be presenting world-class football on world-class pitches and to be able to do that you need to have world-class training facilities and a venue that exhibits those games in a special way," Mr Brown said.
"Much of that infrastructure will be left in place for the future of football and sport in Canberra. For us, it's about making sure the event is easily attainable for all who want to come along, but also we leave a very significant legacy."
There will be lasting benefits at McKellar and Deakin stadiums. Improved lighting at both venues will be to high-definition television standards, giving them the capacity to host significant night matches.
Qatar, which finished seventh in 2011, will base itself at the Australian Institute of Sport from late December until its opening game at Canberra Stadium against United Arab Emirates on January 11.
Qatar has indicated it may also host an international friendly in Canberra in the lead-up to the Cup.
Canberra is still lagging behind other venues in ticket sales and organisers hope Qatar's presence in the nation's capital will provide even more promotion for the event.
"I think people, as they get more aware of the Asian Cup, have really got to understand that we won't see these sorts of events on our doorstep in a long time," Mr Brown said. "They're world-class events and they're coming to Canberra."
