The best sports facilities of the country were announced at the RUSSIA EXPO
On July 4 at the International RUSSIA EXPO a solemn awarding
ceremony was held for the winners and prize-winners of the III National
Competition with International Participation for Exemplary Sports Facilities
"ARENA". It was held as part of the conference "Modern Solutions
in the Organization of Sports Facilities for the Whole Family", which was
held at the lecture hall of the Russian Society "Knowledge" in
Pavilion No. 57.
High-quality sports facilities play an important role in
shaping interest in physical culture and sports, and become centres of social life,
said Russian Sport Minister Mikhail Degtyarev in his address to the
participants of the ceremony.
"As Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
notes, the availability of sports infrastructure, the quality and diversity of
sports facilities directly affect the quality of life, the health of millions
of people. The award winners are professionals in their field, for whom high
standards and individual approach in the creation of sports facilities are
important," Mikhail Degtyarev said in his welcoming speech.
The competition gathered applications from representatives
of more than 300 sports facilities in 67 Russian regions of Russia, as well as
facilities in Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Uzbekistan. The jury members
evaluated the performance and functionality of the sports facility. The experts
paid special attention to the area of the facility, its capacity, the number of
sports that can be held at the facility, the possibility and methods of
transformation, the number of parking spaces, the number of employees by
occupation, the number of sports and non-sports events, the ratio of budget and
non-budget financing, the presence of automated control systems, the use of
acoustic materials and solutions, and much more. High-quality sports facilities
directly affect the development of sports, and the competition contributes to
this, emphasized First Deputy Chairwoman of the State Duma Committee on
International Affairs, Olympic speed skating champion Svetlana Zhurova, who
heads the organizing committee of the competition.
"There is no sport without quality sports facilities
where athletes perform, amateurs train, and children improve their skills. Since 2009, the competition has
grown and contributed to the fact that our arenas were of higher quality and
especially took into account the interests of people with disabilities — for us
this is one of the most important criteria in the evaluation of
facilities," Svetlana Zhurova emphasized.
The winners and runners-up were awarded in eight main
categories: spectacular sports facilities, swimming pools, ice arenas, sports
facilities for extreme sports, sports parks and surface facilities, fitness
industry facilities, sports and recreation complexes, sports and tourist
complexes and sports facilities for Paralympic sports and adaptive physical
education. In addition, the experts recognized with separate awards the
complexes that are suitable for the whole family and the most convenient for
spectators. The award "For Courage and Fidelity to Human Values" was
presented to the Belgorod Arena.
The International RUSSIA EXPO showcases the most important
achievements of the country in one place. Throughout the Exposition, cultural
events, a rich business and educational program await the guests. The
expositions of 89 Russian regions, leading federal agencies, corporations and
public organizations are presented to the visitors. More than 18 million people
have already visited the Exposition. The International RUSSIA EXPO takes place
on the territory of VDNH in Moscow from November 4 to July 8.
