Bishkek Arena is one of the best stadiums in Central Asia, Turkish entrepreneur Cem Mehmet said at the arena's opening ceremony, Kyrgyzstan's national news agency Kabar reported.
He said the stadium was very well designed in terms of infrastructure and capacity. "The arena is really built beautifully. My relatives and friends in Istanbul have also seen the stadium and say it is very well made," he said.
Describing himself as a Beşiktaş fan who lives in Istanbul's Beşiktaş district, he compared the arena with his club's ground, estimating Bishkek Arena's capacity at around 55,000 to 60,000, against 39,400 for Beşiktaş's stadium.
Calling the arena an important investment for Kyrgyzstan, he congratulated the people of Bishkek on the opening: "May the arena benefit the people of Kyrgyzstan!"