On Thursday, the most modern sports center in the country was presented to the guests, which will open its doors to the first visitors in mid-December. The building, which accommodates badminton, tennis, beach tennis and beach volleyball courts and functional training spaces under one roof, was built in less than eight months next to the Vichy water amusement park in the capital.
Sports enthusiasts are also encouraged to hurry
At the moment, the final installation works are being carried out in the arena. They will take about another week. Ventilation, lighting systems, various electronics, and access control are also tested. During the opening, the visitors will be greeted by the newly installed and arranged state-of-the-art sports fields - after the cleaning work, the foundations of the sports fields will be installed. According to the director of the sports center, Ieva Šemberienė, all work is being done exactly according to the schedule, so the doors will be opened on time.
According to I. Šemberienė, finishing the work faster is encouraged and the great interest of sports enthusiasts is felt. "We received the first calls from interested people regarding pitch reservations in the middle of summer. People are still calling and registering. A new wave of customers is forming. We will be able to provide more accurate figures once operations begin in mid-December. The interest is really high," says the interviewer. The head of the sports center estimates that more than a hundred people will be able to exercise here at the same time.
This is the first center of its kind in Lithuania, which will meet the highest global standards and open the possibility of holding international badminton and beach volleyball tournaments. In 2017, several dozen different events are already planned at the sports center.
The center, which has not yet been completed, has also attracted the attention of international organizations. Badminton Europe representatives visited it in mid-November. They are evaluating whether the multifunctional sports center opening its doors in Vilnius can become a base for preparing badminton players from all over Europe for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. "Badminton Europe" organization will make its decision regarding the international training center for badminton players in Vilnius already in December of this year, after visiting all candidates and assessing their ability to provide athletes with training infrastructure that meets the highest requirements.
Installation - according to international requirements
At the moment, the surface is being poured in the tennis hall. The process is carried out in accordance with strict international requirements, so the work is very thorough and time-consuming. A total of 12 layers are cast, so the process took almost two months. Installation work will be completed shortly before opening.
The heated beach volleyball and beach tennis courts are already equipped with underfloor heating and filled with sand in a volume and fraction that meets international requirements. Only the game stands remained to be installed on the sand courts. It is planned to be done within a week.
The badminton courts will be installed from the beginning of December and the work will take around two weeks - they will be installed just before the opening.
Invested more than 3 million euros
The total area of the sports center will be 4500 square meters. Under its roof, there will be 8 badminton courts, 4 beach volleyball and beach tennis courts, 2 tennis courts, a universal training space, where the "Get Fit" academy, popular with the people of Vilnius, will be located. In 2017, 4 additional open beach volleyball courts will be installed near the complex.
Investments in the sports center amount to more than 3 million. euros. Vichy Water Park, which invests in the complex, allocated the plot and will administer the sports center. During the year, it is expected to attract a quarter of a million visitors to the sports complex: these are not only athletes from Lithuania and surrounding countries, but also Vilnius residents and residents of Lithuania who are interested in active leisure time.
The construction of the multifunctional sports complex is carried out by the company "Axis Power" and the real estate project development company "Realco". The center was designed by the company Tiksli forma.
