Guatemala launches unprecedented sports network with $14 million regional complex

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León has inaugurated the construction of a groundbreaking sports infrastructure network, marking a significant step towards decentralizing athletic facilities across the country. The initiative, with an investment exceeding $14 million, aims to bring quality sports venues closer to communities outside the capital.

The project commenced with the laying of the first stone for the Zaragoza Sports City in Chimaltenango, located approximately 64 kilometers west of Guatemala City. This initial phase involves an investment of 110.5 million quetzales ($14.2 million) and will span 41,000 square meters, designed to serve over 31,000 local residents. President Arévalo highlighted that this effort aims to rectify a long-standing imbalance, noting that the last major sports infrastructure investment occurred over seven decades ago during his father's administration.

The Zaragoza complex will feature a range of modern facilities, including a velodrome, a skating rink, an athletics track, football and tennis courts, multi-sport courts, a skate park, a climbing wall, an outdoor gym, a calisthenics area, a jogging track, an amphitheater, a cultural plaza, and children's play areas. This comprehensive design emphasizes community gathering and diverse recreational activities.

This first site is part of a larger state plan that includes additional venues in Los Amates (Izabal), Las Cruces (Petén), and a location in the southeastern region of Guatemala. President Arévalo emphasized that the government's strategy is to promote recreation and lay the groundwork for nurturing future medalists, building on the country's recent successes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“

During the democratic spring initiated in 1944, specifically during the government of my father, Juan José Arévalo, the last major investment in sports works was made in Guatemala... Seventy years later, upon coming to government, I decided it was time to recover the lost time.