Kazan to open six new versatile sports grounds by City Day

(Kazan, KZN.RU, August 25, by Zilya Gayfi). By August 30, six new versatile playgrounds, out of 12 scheduled for this year, will be commissioned in Kazan. For this purpose, 46.8 million rubles were allocated from the national budget, said Ilgiz Fakhriev, chairman of the Committee of Physical Culture and Sports of the Executive Committee of the city, at today's Business Monday meeting.

He recalled that in 2013 eight versatile playgrounds were built in Kazan at the cost of 41.7 million rubles. They have basketball and volleyball grounds, mini-soccer pitches and gyms. More playgrounds – 12 in number – will be built this year all over the city. "At most of the sites, work on paving, installing basketball backboards, volleyball poles and perimeter fencing has been completed. At the mini-football pitches, covers have been laid and lighting poles and goals have been installed. At some sites, foundations for sports grounds and children's playgrounds have been laid, gravel has been laid and curbs installed," Ilgiz Fakhriev reported on the progress of the construction.

According to him, modern materials are used at all sports grounds, specifically, synthetic surfacing, which minimizes the risk of injury. "The main thing is to ensure the safety of children playing sports," said the mayor and called upon district heads, the Sports Committee, management companies and school principals to demonstrate integrity during facility commissioning.

According to Ilgiz Fakhriev, the development of sports infrastructure in the city should continue. Numerous requests have been received from residents to begin construction of playgrounds in their courtyards. "District administrations and our reception receives a lot of requests of this kind. This shows that our people choose a healthy lifestyle," said the mayor of Kazan.

"It's good to see that the construction of sports grounds has as its base the well-prepared soil of Kazan residents' desire to play sports," continued Ilsur Metshin and urged that all the remaining objects open on time. He also recommended preparing a list of courtyards where sports grounds should be built next year.

He noted that the criterion for selecting new playground sites remain the same – walking distance from schools and crowded residential areas.