"Twenty years after the organization of the Athens Olympic Games - the most successful event to date - we are here to breathe new life into OAKA. With organized work, we are making use of Attica's Olympic legacy, upgrading its most important sporting landmark," said Mr. Hardalias, after signing the relevant contract.
As the Regional Governor of Attica specifically mentioned, with this particular project "the Region is investing in the modernization of the facilities of the largest sports center in Greece - and indeed after 20 years, in which there had been absolutely no intervention. In a year from now, athletes will have at their disposal a state-of-the-art sports venue, fully functional and safe, as our "golden children" deserve, who with their performances have made us nationally proud". Mr. Hardalias also emphasized that the modernization of the OAKA is part of the Region's strategy "to highlight Attica as a sports Metropolis, with state-of-the-art facilities that can successfully host large events of global scope".
The Deputy Minister of Sports, Yannis Vroutsis, said: "We remain faithful to our commitment to upgrade our National Sports Centers, through increased funding and expanded collaborations with the Municipalities and Regions of the country, and we work every day for this. The Region of Attica and the Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias are among our key partners in recruiting all the agencies for modern and fully functional Sports Centers. We are making steady progress in the implementation of our strategic plan, which aims to once again make our iconic Olympic Stadium a pole of attraction for major events, in addition to a welcoming "home" for classical sportsmen and women. The aim of the project is the restoration of the athletics of O.A.K.A. "Spyros Louis", with the maintenance and upgrading of part of the facilities, so that they become functional both for the daily use of the public and athletes, as well as for the realization of international Classical Sports events".
What's in store:
• Replacement of all synthetic rubber carpets (tartan) with internationally certified materials, on a total surface of 6,750 sq.m. The project concerns the Central Stadium, the Central Stadium Warm-up, the auxiliary fields K1 and K2 and the Indoor Training Center, so that the synthetic rubber carpets are suitable for the recognition of athletes' performances in international and pan-Hellenic competitions.
• Sealing of the roof of the indoor swimming pool with a total area of 4,953 sq.m.
• Replacing sections of fencing with new gates and mesh panels.
The maintenance project, which is being carried out for the first time at the OAKA premises after the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, is expected to be completed within a year.
