Pashinyan: Armenia to have 300 small football fields

YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan together with visiting FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin attended an event on June 15 dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Football Federation.

In his speech, Pashinyan stressed the importance of team spirit in achieving success in sports, recalling that one of the goals of Armenia's Transformation Strategy is winning a World or European Football Championship.

He praised the support of the presidents of FIFA and UEFA for Armenia, calling them very reliable partners.

"Over the last three years the Football Federation of Armenia has built 90 new small stadiums in 7 regions of the country with the support of FIFA. FIFA will allocate about $2.5mln for their operation," Pashinyan said.

He also spoke about the projects implemented in Armenia with UEFA's support such as the reopening of Abovyan City Stadium, reconstructed according to UEFA's Hat-Trick Program, construction of the stadium in Vanadzor, also plans to build a soccer school named after a greatest Armenian football player Khoren Hovhannisyan, installation of lighting systems at Shengavit Stadium and Gyumri City Stadium. The total investment is estimated at $5 million.

"Today the President of FIFA stated that these 90 small stadiums in the Republic of Armenia will grow to 300 in the future. Today, during our meeting with the FIFA President as well as during the previous meeting with the UEFA President we discussed the possibility of building a new national stadium in Armenia from scratch that will meet all modern standards," the Prime Minister said.

According to him, the team spirit, the logic of the team game is a phenomenon which needs to be developed in Armenia. --0--