By Wendy Anders

By late 2018 Costa Rica plans to offer athletes two sports complexes – an aquatics center in La Sabana Park and a sports complex in La Paz Park – announced Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís last week at the National Sports Games (Juegos Nacionales).

Plans for the new centers presented to the public indicated the projects will be completed in November 2018. The two centers are being financed with government funds as well as through a Central American Integration Bank loan.

Both facilities will serve recreational and competitive purposes, and will contribute to the health and well being of families as well as provide upgraded facilities to athletes to better prepare for regional and international competitions, stated Sports Minister Carolina Mauri.

“I hope these two centers are always filled with families from all over the country; we need to remember that the goal of Costa Rica is to promote well-being, development and democracy. Sports give much satisfaction and have allowed our youth to aspire to live lives of dignity,” stated President Solís.

The La Paz Sports Pavilion will cost an estimated $13.5 million and will be financed by the  Costa Rican Recreation and Sports Institute (ICODER). La Paz Park, or Parque Metropolitano de la Paz, is located near the southern San José suburb of San Sebastián.

The new center will include facilities for practicing and teaching karate, judo, tae kwon do, five-a-side soccer, handball, volleyball, and basketball; and will incorporate the park’s existing velodrome in its design and construction. The pavilion will also have a dormitory for visiting athletes, a weight-training gym, a sports store, a restaurant and a training center.

The Aquatics Center in La Sabana Park will be financed through a $25 million loan, and will include an olympic pool and an additional pool for other water sports such as synchronized swimming, water polo, and diving. The facility will also include a track, a gym for aerobic training, a dry-training area, and bio-mechanical machines.

The Aquatics Center will comply with International Swimming Federation norms and offer training, education and practice opportunities for all olympic water disciples.