Infrastructural sphere and sport

Sport infrastructure means the places, venues and territories where athletes can prepare, attend trainings and compete. It also involves the technical background serving maintenance (road-. water and electrical networks, drain system as well as telecommunications). The following questions can be raised here: Where are they? Why have they been built and inserted in there? What is around them? Who operate them? Who use them? What are they used for? Where do their users come from? How much money is invested in these networks? How do they affect their environment?

The development of sport infrastructure is due to the growing demand for the optimal conditions and, of course, the popularity of sports. The catchment area of sport centres, clubs and organizations is different, for example, a park in the city, play grounds expand maximum 1 km, whereas ski resorts need several hundred kilometres (Bánhidi, M. 2011).

It is a realistic pursue that each sport centre could attract a large number of users, especially when mega sport events are organized. The needs, claims and demands of these events can be planed in advance. It is a must nowadays to have stadiums, sports halls that are equipped with the latest up-to-date techniques (e.g.: heated turf, plastic runway, flexible sports floor).

When the basic principles of sustainability are not implemented it goes with environmental damage. Naturally these negative effects can be different depending on sports (e.g.: Alpine skiing has a considerable impact on the environment). The Maastricht Treaty of the EU   specifies and requires that whenever sport facilities are planned their effects on the environment should be taken into consideration.