The best sports facilities of the country were announced at the RUSSIA EXPO

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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.