Canada, Slovakia invest $65m in sports infrastructure in Georgia

Canada and Slovakia are injecting $65 million into Georgia to build new sporting infrastructure of an "unprecedented” large scale to develop the country’s ability to host top sporting events and develop the sector.

To make this investment go further, Georgia pledged to also financially support the initiative, it was revealed today.

At today’s Governmental meeting Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili asked the country’s Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs to launch a public-private partnership model that would best support the Canadian and Slovakian investment.

The state shall not compete with the existing infrastructure and the best partnership model should be found to avoid damaging a competitive environment. This service should be available for the wider society and we should not become the managers of this infrastructure in the long-term, said Kvirikashvili.

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Tariel Khechikashvili said the foreign investment would be hugely beneficial, particularly as Georgia was preparing to host a number of sporting events in 2017, such as the World Rugby U20 Championship.

He said the investment would assist the country to host high-level tournaments to the highest standards and help develop sports tourism in general.

During the last four years more than half billion GEL has been allocated by Georgia to fund sports infrastructure and activities. This is an important gesture of support to the development of Georgian sports,” he said.

"From this several significant results have been achieved; Georgia has become a regional hub of sporting events,” Khechikashvili noted.