Debrecen was one of the 24 municipalities that applied for funding to create new skate parks in the city. Thanks to the National Skate Park Program, next summer skateboarding lovers can enjoy skate parks in Óbuda, Kőbánya, Rákosmente, Budafok-Tétény, Baja, Debrecen, Győr, Hajdúböszörmény, Komló, and Szeged.
Miklós Kásler, Minister of Human Capacities, said that the government will provide half of the construction costs (up to HUF 30 million) to each municipality for the construction but only if local governments commit to funding the other half. Another condition is that the skate park should be run for at least five years and provide free entry.
“If we want to engage young people today, we should provide them with something entertaining that can compete with smartphone games”, stressed Máriusz Révész, the governmentʼs commissioner for encouraging active lifestyles.
Since skateboarding became an Olympic sport, the goal was to create courses that are suitable for Olympic preparation and competitions.
The government launched the National Skate Park Program with the help of the Skateboard Association in April. In the first phase, municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants could apply.
Photo credit: Image by LouisBauer from Pixabay