Today Novy Urengoy saw the commissioning of a new modern sports and fitness center as part of the Gazprom to Children program on the day of Gazprom dobycha Yamburg’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Taking part in the celebrations were Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Sergey Konovalov, Deputy Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Oleg Andreyev, Director General of Gazprom dobycha Yamburg, Ivan Kostogriz, Head of the Novy Urengoy Administration and other guests of honor.

Opening the ceremonial event, Oleg Andreyev said that Yamburg sports school for children and teenagers would be established on the basis of the center. More than 1,000 Novy Urengoy children would improve their skills in 20 sports including the Olympic ones. Director General of Gazprom dobycha Yamburg also emphasized that handicapped children would receive physical rehabilitation treatment in the center.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the guests were invited to have a look of the center’s interior.

The building covers the total area of more than 19,000 square meters, the number of storeys in it ranges from one to three. The center comprises a large multi-sports (volleyball, basketball and futsal) gym with viewing stands, two tennis courts, gyms for aerobics, table tennis and wrestling, a weight room, swimming pools: one 25 meters long and the other – to learn swimming, a shooting range with three galleries, a ski rental, a billiard room and a juice bar.

Later on, the large multi-sports gym hosted a theatrical show staged by students of the sponsored educational institutions and local creative teams; sportsmen demonstrated their skills.

Addressing the young sportsmen, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee said: “Being a leader in the global energy sector, Gazprom is also a socially responsible company. The Gazprom to Children program is a vivid example of this. Today, on the day of Gazprom dobycha Yamburg’s anniversary we are opening the sports center in the heart of Russia’s gas production region. I think this is the right thing. We care about our employees’ health and support the younger generation of Russians. I hope we will hear about the remarkable success of many students of this sports and fitness center”.

Background:

The Gazprom to Children program is an All-Russian project embracing 67 regions of the country. It engages 33 subsidiaries of Gazprom and all the regional gas companies entering into the Mezhregiongaz structure. From early 2007 to early 2009 Gazprom allotted over RUB 6.7 billion to execute the program.

As part of the Gazprom to Children program, 555 sports facilities have been built including fitness centers, stadiums, football grounds, swimming pools, playgrounds and children’s camps. Moreover, 126 sports facilities are under construction.

By now, more than 200 thousand children are engaged in the sports courses and creative teams of Gazprom.