The new Debrecen Extreme Sports Park will give a new impetus to the development of many sports in the city.
The construction works taking place in the Tócóvölgy, located behind Jégcsarnok (Debrecen Ice Hall) have been completed, and the new Debrecen Extreme Sports Park was inaugurated on 18th March 2023 by Minister of State for Active Hungary Máriusz Révész and Mayor of Debrecen László Papp.
As László Papp said at the inauguration ceremony, the city has been planning to realize this project for a very long time, and it is a very niche investment for the sports-loving public. There were thousands of requests and suggestions. It was certainly not possible to incorporate everything into this field, but it was created by listening to the opinions and suggestions of all the sports organizations concerned, and what was available was implemented in this complex.
In the case of the Debrecen Extreme Sports Park, we are talking about a very specialized multi-sport park. It includes five tracks: BMX freestyle, triathlon, skateboarding, roller-skating, and a pump track for cyclists. The facility costs more than HUF 660 million.
According to László Papp, this complex will give a new boost to the development of these sports in the city, as it was very important when designing the tracks that everyone, from beginners to competitive athletes, should be able to use, enjoy, practice and test their skills.
The mayor is confident that all the sports in Eastern Hungary that can now find a home here will be given a new impetus and that the athletes will be able to confirm the ambition and the intention that the city expressed in the planning and implementation of the pitch can really serve a good cause and their development. László Papp thanked State Secretary Máriusz Révész and the Government for their continued support for the implementation of the Debrecen Extreme Sports Park, as this investment in its current complexity could not have been realized without significant municipal self-financing, partly from the European Union and partly from the Government.
Máriusz Révész, Minister of State for Active Hungary of the Prime Minister’s Office, spoke about his task to help create facilities and organize programs that will help people to move and live healthier and fitter lives. Together with his colleagues, he has done a lot of work in this area in recent years, and there is a particularly important target group for this activity: children.
Despite the introduction of daily physical education, children are getting less and less active, and the proportion of obese and overweight children is increasing yearly. It is, therefore, very important to find ways to reach children. This is a park that will certainly appeal to many children. It will get a lot of young people moving. In physical education classes, relatively few children will realize that they are very fond of sports. But anyone who starts cycling or skateboarding on these tracks and spends a lot of time doing the tricks will never stop. It’s important that the sports people can play here have now become Olympic sports. Debrecen can be really proud of this facility.
The Secretary of State also stressed that it is exemplary and forward-looking that this facility was built with the needs of its users in mind. Máriusz Révész wished that many people would use this facility in the coming period and that this track system would contribute to young people in Hungary living healthier lives, taking more exercise, and being fitter. “If, in addition to all this – even if the members of the Hungarian national team can prepare here in Debrecen – we can also achieve one or two Olympic results, we can only be happy,” he added.
During the handover ceremony, Tamás Vígh, the professional manager of the Debrecen Extreme Sports Park, Márta Takács-Kiss, the board member of the Hungarian National Skating and Skateboarding Federation, and Zoltán Ujváry, a national BMX racer, expressed their joy, that this facility, which is among the best in Europe, was built in cooperation with the athletes and will provide an opportunity to ensure the development of world-class athletes and a training ground for the current national team.
The event was attended by Lajos Berkó, Head of the Cabinet of the State Secretary for Sport of the Ministry of Defence, László Pósán, Member of Parliament, and Diána Széles, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen.
Following the handover ceremony, visitors were invited to take possession of the Debrecen Extreme Sports Park.
