LigaTurf RS+ for football and rugby in an airdome in Giżycko, Poland
Double certification in Masuria’s nature paradise
The town of Giżycko belongs to the Polish voivodeship of Warmia-Masuria and is located by Lake Niegocin. With almost 30,000 residents and plentiful opportunities for water sports, the town is an important tourist spot in Poland. The town’s Ekomarina is home to the “White Fleet”, which traverses the large Masurian lakes. From there, numerous sailing boats and houseboats sail out across the Masurian Lake District.
However, Giżycko’s affinity for sport is not limited to the water: in order to provide opportunities for football, even in unfavourable weather conditions, an airdome was erected in the town. It was realised by Polytan’s partner, Panorama Obiekty Sportowe, a company that specialises in the planning and construction of sports facilities on the Polish market. The 115-by-74-metre hall spans the entire playing field beneath it and consists of two shells (double membrane) with air pumped in between them. This creates very comfortable conditions for sports, which protects athletes from too cold temperatures, as well as rain and snow. The hall belongs to a sports complex that is used as an Olympic training centre.
The pitch inside is surfaced with Polytan LigaTurf RS+, which is prized by professional and amateur players alike. The highly robust turf system has proved its value as the preferred surface for the Women’s World Cup in Canada. The fibres of the turf fulfil the highest requirements for shock absorption, ball rolling and ball bouncing characteristics, throughout its long lifespan.
The playing field in Giżycko is not only the first synthetic turf football field to be installed in an airdome in the voivodeship of Warmia-Masuria, but is also only the second in Poland to be doubly certified for football and rugby by FIFA and World Rugby respectively. As a playing field with double certification in an airdome, it is one of a kind in Europe.
To fulfil the requirements of both international associations, the length of the synthetic turf filaments had to be no more or less than 60 mm. The 105-by-68-metre playing field can be subdivided into four sectors of 26 by 68 metres, which are separated by nets, and is particularly suitable for training exercises.
