Poland will have another indoor ice rink in Warsaw
Poland will eventually have a third top sports facility for long track skaters. The skating association has announced this. The current Stegny track in the south of Warsaw will be demolished in the coming months. Construction of a new indoor ice rink will then begin. The local authorities are investing around forty million euros in the construction of the new hall.
“We have been working on making this investment for a long time, it is a strategic boost for Polish skating,” said President Rafał Tataruch of the Polish Skating Federation. “I am convinced that this investment is worth it. It is extremely important for our discipline that we also have Warsaw as a home base for our Polish skaters.”
Poland currently has an indoor 400-meter track in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (photo above), which was completed in 2017. Various international competitions have now been held there. An ice rink is currently being built in Zakopane – south of Katowice on the border with Slovakia. The construction of the Central Sports Center there should be completed in the coming months.
Future of artificial ice rink Enschede secured for the time being
Twente Ice Rink will remain open in the coming years. That is the outcome of a vote in the Enschede municipal council. The council members voted this week on the additional contribution of 250,000 euros to complete the operation, proposed by the mayor and aldermen. With the exception of the Party of the Animals, the council unanimously approved the plan. The municipality already contributes 100,000 euros annually to the ice rink. Nine Twente municipalities have made a one-off financial contribution for the coming winter season.
From next year, the municipality will be on its own and will guarantee a total of 350,000 euros per year for IJsbaan Twente. That’s about half of the money needed to keep the track open. Work is now being done to improve the sustainability of the ice rink and reduce the energy bill. The ice rink must also open its doors for other activities in future summers.