Today, new tennis courts have been put into full operation in Lviv at 8 Kastelivka Street.
Elina Svitolina, a well-known Ukrainian tennis player, the third ranked player in the WTA singles rankings in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and a bronze medallist at the 2020 Summer Olympics, came to the symbolic opening and training session with the young tennis players.
Four modern tennis courts and two locker rooms were built on city land by a private investor, Palace of Sports Ukraine LLC. Initially, pupils of the Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 1 will train here, and later, military and civilians affected by the war (UNBROKEN Sport) will be invited to the courts for rehabilitation.
“We understand that modern children need to move more. Immobility in childhood is a big problem today. That’s why it’s so important to do everything we can to encourage children to play more sports, and tennis is a sport that children love. Nowadays, we cannot develop sports infrastructure with budgetary funds, but fortunately, there are philanthropists who invest their money in such projects. We are very grateful to them for this.
In addition, every day we receive wounded civilians and soldiers and treat veterans. These people need sports, so we are developing this area within the UNBROKEN ecosystem. Our goal is to create as many opportunities for rehabilitation as possible, so we will involve all possible sports,” said Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv.
According to Elina Svitolina, the new training grounds motivate athletes and inspire residents to try tennis.
“I am very happy that we are opening outdoor courts in Lviv. It is very cool. When I was here in the winter, I was told that outdoor training grounds would soon open, so I couldn’t help but come here. This is a great motivation for current tennis players and a great prospect for the development of this sport among people. People will see how the athletes play tennis and will want to at least try the sport,” says Elina Svitolina.
Starting next week, residents will be able to come here to practice: at certain hours, tennis players from the children’s and youth sports school will train here, and at other times, other people will be able to play tennis. To register for the courts and find out more details, please call here: +380 (97) 827 77 42 (Natalia Bodnia, Director of the Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 1).