The strategy approved by the University of Latvia (UL) for 2021 to 2027 sets the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle as one of the goals. In order to continue activating physical activity among students and employees and developing dual career studies, it is planned to build a Sports House in the territory of the Academic Center in Pardaugava in the coming years, the University of Latvia reports.
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Since 2015, the University of Latvia has formed a unified Academic Center in Torņakalns. In 2015, the House of Nature was the first to open, but in 2019, the House of Science opened its doors. It is planned that the House of Scriptures will be opened in 2023, where the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Humanities, Pedagogy, Psychology and Art, Social Sciences, Theology, and History and Philosophy will be located.
After the completion of the House of Scripture, the next stage in the establishment of the Academic Center is related to the life sciences, including sports.
LU is a leader in its field in student sports in Latvia. The university has teams in four sports – in the highest basketball league, the boys’ team of the University of Latvia proves itself, but the BJSS “Rīdzene” / LU team starts in the women’s league. The cooperation established in football with FS “Metta” has resulted in participation in the Latvian Football Super League, but the joint “University of Latvia” / “FS Masters” team participates in the floorball super league.
In 2020, the women’s volleyball unit RVS / LU joined the team of the university, but some contestants prove themselves in the athletics sector and other individual sports. In total, the Sports Center established under the auspices of the University of Latvia offers students up to 40 different sports activities.
In addition, the University of Latvia is one of the first universities in the Baltics to offer its students a dual career – high-level athletes to prove themselves not only in sports competitions, but also to obtain higher education at the university. In this way, both the transition from youth to professional sport is ensured, and it is an opportunity for young athletes to further develop their skills and reach their maximum potential.
In addition, at the university, students have the opportunity to study the Sports Science program, which researches, analyzes and seeks solutions to aspects of sports and physical activities – physical, mental, emotional and social. In its turn, the study program “Sports, Technologies and Public Health” develops students’ competence for work in the fields of sports and related sciences.
In order to further develop the above-mentioned processes – dual career studies, popularization of a healthy lifestyle among the students of the university, we see the construction of a sports house in the territory of the Academic Center as the next development step. Currently, the projects of the development program of the Academic Center are in a high stage of readiness, planning to start the implementation of the Sports House in 2022. The sports house complex will not only ensure a more active and healthier lifestyle for the LU family, but will also improve the lack of access to sports infrastructure in Pārdaugava.
The need for such a sports facility has also been confirmed by a study conducted among LU students. Out of 3834 respondents, 76% of LU students request sports facilities near the university dormitories, but 52% want to use sports infrastructure facilities. 24% of respondents already attend paid sports activities offered by other service providers, while 39% of 3834 students spend more than 30 euros a month on their budget. Students have recognized the gym (80%), swimming pool (70%) and fitness classes (58%) as the most popular paid sports activities.
The lack of access to sports infrastructure in Riga has been a known problem for a long time, which is also acknowledged by Dina Vīksna, the head of the Sports and Youth Department of the Riga City Council Education, Culture and Sports Department.
“Currently, the draft of the Riga City Development Program for 2021–2027 has been submitted for public consultation, along with which the draft investment plan for 2021–2024 is being developed. The mentioned project plan includes both new construction plans and renovation and reconstruction of the existing infrastructure. Riga City Council The Sports Commission established in 2006, getting acquainted with the availability and coverage of existing sports facilities in the administrative territory of Riga, acknowledged the development of indoor sports infrastructure as a priority, “Dina Vīksna reveals the existing plans in Riga City Council in connection with sports infrastructure.
“The Sports House is a unique project that will provide LU students and employees, as well as Riga residents with an active lifestyle. It will provide suitable conditions for professional teams and athletes and develop sports science study programs with extensive rehabilitation and diagnostic opportunities for residents,” comments LU Sports Director of the Center Uģis Bisenieks.
It is planned that the sports complex will have three sports halls, which will be suitable for other sports, but one of them will correspond to the size of the indoor football field. The sports house also has a 50-meter swimming pool and two swimming pools, a gym, aerobics and dance hall, a sports laboratory, rehabilitation, massage and physiotherapy facilities, and a 100-meter athletics runway. The total area is estimated at 14.3 thousand square meters, but the total investment is about 23 million euros.
The origins of LU sports can be traced back to 1929, and over the years its teams have won titles in Latvian championships in almost all sports. The sports house is the next step in the development of LU sports achievements, as it will provide an opportunity to combine a healthy lifestyle, professional sports and science.
