2ND EUROPEAN GAMES PAVE WAY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MINSK

APRIL 11 2019

The Minsk European Games Organizing Committee (MEGOC) and the German foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung held a round table discussion at Dinamo Stadium on the topic of "The impulses big sporting events provide for the sustainable development of the host city and region".

Among the participants of the event were a number of international experts who have extensive hands-on experience in improving the urban infrastructure ahead of major sporting events, and using the infrastructure after the sporting event draws to a close. The foreign experts got an introductory tour of the largest sports facilities of the 2nd European Games ahead of the official, round table discussion, among which were Minsk Arena, Falcon Club and Dinamo Stadium.

Opening the round table, Deputy CEO of MEGOC Anatol Kotau emphasised that one of the main tasks of the Games organisers is to show how such large-scale events are a push towards developing urban infrastructure, improving the environmental conditions in the cities, and developing the service sector as well as public transport:

"The experts were shown not only sports facilities, so that they could evaluate in person how the topics that the conference is dedicated to are handled in real life. Minsk is being modernised. The quality of work in this regard will determine how much the number of tourists to Belarus will increase after the Games. Our task is to demonstrate how such events have a positive effect on the urban infrastructure, which is moving up to a new level. Everything should be handed over to the city’s residents."

"When discussing what the 2nd European Games mean for us, we highlight two key words - heritage and investments. In fact, not a single venue was built specifically for the Games. We only accelerated the reconstruction of the Dinamo Stadium and the rifle sports complex. We let out two new residences in the student village, and the rest were modernised to welcome athletes and later be passed on to the students. I think this is a big plus because we are promoting the idea of ​​how major sporting events can be carried out economically, but at the same time still offering something new to the people."

The participants of the round table were given a detailed presentation on the tangible and intangible legacy of the 2nd European Games. This included specific facts on public transport renewal, landscaping, improvement of roadways and roadside services, improvements to the quality of mobile communications, upgrades to transit corridors, and the efforts to make the Games venues accessible to people with impairments.

An expert of the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) in the field of sports policy Sven Daniel Wolfe shared foreign case studies about the external and internal potential of a mega-event, such as the 2nd European Games.

Sven Daniel Wolfe:

"I am impressed by the sports facilities of Minsk. The city is ready for the Games. I really liked Dinamo Stadium, which is built with logic. I’m impressed by its classic architecture and reasonable capacity. This ensures that the stadium and other venues will continue to be used after the European Games. Our group carried out research in 11 countries around the world, visiting venues built for the World Cup and the Olympic Games. There were positive and negative cases, especially when the organisers completely concentrated on sporting events, forgetting about city life that’s not related to competitions. In Minsk, everything is fundamentally different. The organizers did everything to find a balance between the sporting event and city life. And the main thing is the attention that is given to the Games legacy, which is very encouraging."

An expert from the Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design, Dalia Safiullina, gave a presentation about creating a legacy of a mega-event based on the example of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Dalia Safiullina:

"As a specialist, it is important for me to assess how venues interact with the environment, and what the city gets for its residents as a result of a major event. In Minsk, more and more attention is paid to the urban environment. The historic city center is getting a design theme. The city itself is very clean. There are more and more activities people can do in parks and people are feeling more confident and comfortable here. I think it will make a good impression on foreigners. They should feel the atmosphere that the locals create here."

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only