This weekend, installation of a padel court will begin in the park on Leningradskaya Street. It is planned that two outdoor playgrounds will appear in the city center by the end of June.
Padel has been actively developing in the Murmansk Region in recent years. The Regional Federation has the rights to organize and conduct official sports competitions.
"The city center is gradually being transformed. The main task is to make spaces accessible and convenient, as well as to introduce new scenarios into urban life. The square next to Leningradskaya Street responds to the changes and offers residents new activities. In winter, an ice rink was flooded here, and the townspeople could skate, and in summer there will be paddling grounds at this place," said Daria Klimova, director of the Urban Development Center of the Murmansk Region.
The Murmansk City Parks and Squares institution will implement the project. Two platforms will be installed in the park on the site of the existing stage. The size of one court is 20x10 m. Nearby there will be a small recreation area for players and guests, a wooden deck with changing rooms and a relaxation area. In winter, an ice rink will appear again within the boundaries of the court. Thus, the space will be in demand all year round.
The opening of outdoor courts in Murmansk is a pilot project implemented with the support of the Government of the Murmansk Region and the regional branch of the Padel Federation of Russia in cooperation with the Berta Village Club. Following the results of the trial season, it is planned to study the demand for this sport among northerners and assess the quality of operation of sports infrastructure in the arctic climate.
"Padel is gaining rapid popularity in the region, and the number of athletes and people who prefer this sport is growing exponentially. And we see that there is a request from the Northerners, but there are not enough training grounds. Berta Village Club is actively involved in the development of padel in Russia, and we are pleased that this company, together with the government of the Murmansk Region, initiated the construction of a street padel court," said Anastasia Gulyanina, chairman of the regional branch of the Padel Federation of Russia, noting that an open rating tournament will be held in the region next week."Arctic padel".
In addition, the installation of two more indoor courts at the Ice Palace in Murmansk will begin in June. Three pickleball courts will be installed here in the summer.
According to the Federation, visits to the courts will be paid, but the cost of playing per hour will be lower than the average market prices at existing venues.
In April, the first Leningradskaya pedestrian street opened in the city center. It has an important role to connect and unite the main central spaces of Murmansk: the square on Leningradskaya, the Five Corners Square, and the site in front of the Rodina Center for Scientific and technological Creativity. According to the idea, the street will become a place of attraction for young people, all-season recreation spaces, swings are provided here, a new cafe has been opened, and a small playground for extreme communities that have become frequent visitors to the street will appear.
/ Ministry of Sports of the Murmansk Region according to the Padel Federation of Russia in the Murmansk region /