Peru is planning to invest about 5 billion soles ($1.5 billion) in sports and transportation infrastructure to host the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, the organizing committee for the event announced Monday.

The estimate includes 3 billion soles for building viaducts and improving streets in the Peruvian capital and 2 billion soles for preparing and remodeling the sites hosting the various sports events.

Organizers expect that the Games will generate earnings of some 5 billion soles for the local economy, with 680 million soles in direct earnings and about 4.387 billion soles in indirect earnings.

During a presentation before more than 800 businessmen from at least 10 countries – including Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Chile and Canada – organizers explained that the investment in sports infrastructure will focus on eight sites.

The president of the Games’ Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, said that 62 percent of the sports sites already exist and the work will consist of improving, adapting and modifying the facilities.

The biggest and most costly project will be building the Pan American Villa, a 1,120-room, seven-building, 20-story complex where the majority of the 9,000 athletes and officials participating in the Games will be housed.

The Villa will be the first project to be put up for bidding in July, Neuhaus said, and by the end of this year authorities expect to have all the projects at the 21-hectare (53-acre) sports complex assigned, including three multipurpose gymnasiums, a surf center and firing ranges, among others.

To be constructed at the National Sports Villa (Videna) in Lima – where athletes will compete in wrestling, cycling, swimming, skating, handball, badminton, table tennis and many more – will be an aquatic stadium that will seat 4,300 and a sports complex for 1,800 spectators.

The existing stadium will be expanded to accommodate 12,000 spectators, using temporary seating for 7,000, Neuhaus said.

In the Lima municipality of Villa Maria del Triunfo, a huge sports complex will be erected with two swimming pools and several sections for baseball, jai-alai, softball, waterpolo, hockey, rugby and archery. Another complex seating 4,500 will be built in the neighboring San Juan de Miraflores district for gymnastics.

In addition, a new complex seating 4,800 will be built at the Regional Sports Villa in Callao to accommodate volleyball and taekwondo, and the Miguel Grau stadium will be expanded for soccer and the colosseum for boxing and wrestling.

 

Source:laht.com

Report Abuse