7Berkeh: Mohebbi Sports Complex of Gerash, the second largest complex in Fars province, was officially opened by the Minister of Youth and Sport, Masoud Soltanifar, on Saturday, March 10th, 2018. This is the first phase of the complex that is finished recently, 18 years after its construction began by the generous investment of one of the greatest benefactors of Gerash, Dr. Zein-al-Abedin Mohebbi, known in Gerash as Rahbar Mohebbi.
Mr. Soltanifar was accompanied by Dr. Jamshid Jafarpour, the representative of the people of Larestan, Khonj and Gerash in the Islamic Parliament of Iran. The Governor of Gerash, Asghar Foroudi, said in a brief speech: “For completing the first phase of Mehebbi Sports Complex, approximately 625000 dollars was spent in the last two years.” Foroudi claimed that nearly 1.5 million dollars is needed to complete all the phases of the project.
Dr. Mohebbi acquired the 11-acre land and supported the construction of 60 percent of the complex until 2008. The project was then handed over to the government for completion. With the beginning of the first term of Mr. Rouhani’s presidency, the project was back on the rails again from 2013, and its first phase was ready for inauguration when the seats were planted in the 4000-square-meter salon. Mohebbi Sports Complex has 3000 seats, which make it the second largest complex in Fars, after Shahid Dastgheib Complex in Shiraz.
Dr. Rahbar Mohebbi, 66, was born in Gerash to a wealthy tradesman. He later on joined his father’s business in Dubai, UAE, and is still living there. But he never forgot his hometown, and his name soon became synonymous with generosity especially in the fields of culture and sport. He built the first public library of Gerash, and revived sports in Gerash by his financial supports. Mohebbi Sports Complex is the latest of his contributions to his hometown.
To see more pictures of the inauguration ceremony, see here.
Some words and phrases in this news story:
Mohebbi Sports Complex: مجموعه ورزشی محبی
The Minister of Youth and Sport: وزیر ورزش و جوانان
The representative: نماینده
The Islamic Parliament of Iran: مجلس شورای اسلامی ایران
The Governor of Gerash: فرماندار گراش