China handed over the refurbished Zimbabwean national stadium to the Zimbabwean government on Saturday.

The 60,000-seat stadium was built with China's assistance in 1987 and was closed for renovation by China in the past three years.

Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Xin Shunkang handed over the polished sports facility to the Zimbabwean government at a ceremony attended by senior officials.

Xin hailed the bilateral relations between China and Zimbabwe, saying "The construction and refurbishment of the stadium cement the traditional friendship between our two countries."

The Chinese ambassador said the refurbishment cost a total of 10 million U.S. dollars.

In a statement read on her behalf, Zimbabwe's Vice President Joyce Mujuru thanked China for renovating the stadium and assisting other areas of the Zimbabwean economy.

The statement said the sports facility had been transformed into a world-class stadium that met the standards of the Confederation of African Football.

Among other work done to the stadium, Chinese contractors refurbished the VIP lounge, installed a new scoreboard and replaced all ablution facilities.