Vilnius city municipality continues targeted investments in modern sports infrastructure – the Vilnius Mykolas Biržiška Sports Field, which was completely renovated and designed and built by Vilnius Development Company, has opened its doors in the capital. It is one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Vilnius: it features a standard-sized football field with an artificial surface and an automatic heating system.
"This field is a significant addition to the city's sports base. It has a football field with an artificial heated surface, so it will be possible to play sports comfortably here all year round. The accessibility of sports services will improve not only for the gymnasium community, but also for other sports, especially football fans," said the Mayor of Vilnius during the opening ceremony of the M. Biržiška sports field. V. Benkunskas.
Football stadium that meets FIFA standards
At the opening ceremony, sports enthusiasts tested out the new sports complex – an exhibition youth U15 match between FK Žalgiris Academy and Baltic Football Academy took place. The festival participants also tried out the increasingly popular pickleball and other sports on the renovated basketball courts, and took pictures at the 360° video photo wall. The Mayor of Vilnius City greeted those gathered at the public event and shared information about the new court Valdas Benkunskas, Vice Mayor Vytautas Mitalas, "Active Vilnius"Head Gintas Teslia, representative of the Vilnius Development Company Inga Liutkevičiūtė.
"Interest in football in Vilnius is growing every year. The number of children attending it has doubled in the last five years and there are now as many as 40 football academies operating in Vilnius. Appropriate sports infrastructure is necessary to meet such a need. Therefore, this Biržiška Stadium, which meets international standards, is an important breakthrough in creating a sporty, active and modern city of Vilnius," says Vilnius Vice Mayor Vytautas Mitalas.
The sports field is equipped to meet modern quality requirements. The football field measures 69×109 meters. Its artificial grass surface is certified according to the international FIFA “Quality Pro” standard and is heated – an automatic surface heating system has been installed that operates at temperatures of -4–+4 °C, so football can be played here all year round.
There are rain-protected benches for substitute players, as well as a place for referees. A 356 sq. m sports building with changing rooms, showers, sanitary and technical facilities has been built next to the football stadium.
Infrastructure – for the highest results
"This was a complex infrastructure project, which required not only combining different solutions into one coherent whole, but also ensuring that the result met the highest sports standards and helped achieve the best possible sports results. I am pleased with the work of our team, the professionalism of our partners, and the fact that Vilnius has another space that will contribute to the city's sports and active leisure opportunities," said I. Liutkevičiūtė, Director of the Project Management Department of the Vilnius Development Company, which coordinated the implementation of the project.
Next to the football field, a universal sports area has been renovated: a 20×40 football field, two basketball courts that can be adapted for playing outdoor volleyball, tennis, badminton and the increasingly popular sport of pickleball. The running track has also been renovated, the entrance road to the territory has been repaired, parking spaces, lighting and a video surveillance system have been installed, and new utility networks have been laid.
Two basketball courts, a small football field and a running track will be administered by M. Biržiška Gymnasium. Gymnasium students will be able to use the large football stadium during scheduled times, which will be administered by Active Vilnius, which takes care of Vilnius' sports infrastructure.
"By taking over this facility, we will ensure its proper maintenance and accessibility to the citizens - we have not only the competencies, but also the accumulated experience for this. The newly opened M. Biržiška football field will become another important part of the Vilnius sports network," says Gintas Teslia, head of Active Vilnius.
The M. Biržiška sports field will be adapted not only for the needs of the gymnasium students, but also for the wider community. It is expected that informal education of children and youth, training of amateur and professional football teams and competitions will take place here, which will be watched by up to 200 fans in the seated stands.
The sports complex will be fully operational from August. Until then, sports schools, academies, professional football teams and amateurs can contact Active Vilnius to rent a football field for training and competitions.
The value of the site construction services is approximately 4,5 million euros including VAT. The general contractor is UAB "Infes". The designer is UAB "Projektų rengimo biuras".
