Horse racing
Photo: Reuters
Maris Strombergs, first Olympic champion in BMX cycling
Photo: Reuters
Olympic facility being built in Galilee
Planned horse racing, BMX cycling complex will allow Israel to host international competitions
An Olympic facility for horse racing and BMX cycling competitions is being built in Israel
for the first time.
BMX was recognized as an Olympic sport in 2003. The Israeli facility will include a 370-meter (1,214-foot) track with seats for 2,000 viewers.
The complex is being erected near the Kaduri Youth Village in northern Israel, and will allow the country to host international competitions in both fields. It is expected to be completed in about two years and cost NIS 30-40 million ($8-10.5 million).
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The horse riding sport has been gaining momentum in Israel, which currently has some 30,000 riding horses and 250 horse ranches – more than two-thirds of them in central and northern Israel.
The Olympic horse racing complex will include a roofed facility and an open one, and will be suited for English and Western riding styles. The roofed complex will have place for 3,300 viewers, while the open one will have 1,800 seats.
The establishment of the Olympic facility has already been approved by the government. The project was launched in 2007 in cooperation with Lower Galilee Regional Council head Moti Dotan.
According to the project's manager, Tzipi Peleg, "These days, when the country seeks to strengthen the Galilee, the project provides the social, cultural and economic response needed to further the area."
