Lasithi: damage at sports facilities raised in Parliament

The question of shortcomings and damage at the sports facilities of Lasithi has reached Parliament. According to a report in the newspaper Nea Kriti, the PASOK MP for Lasithi, Katerina Spyridaki, together with Christina Staraka and Stefanos Parastatidis, have tabled a question to the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sport. The question concerns the shortcomings, the damage and the safety problems recorded at municipal stadiums, indoor gyms and outlying pitches in the municipalities of Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra, Sitia and Oropedio Lasithiou. The MPs put a total of eight questions to the minister, concerning planning, funding, timetable and cooperation with the Region and the municipalities.

Particular reference is made to the delay in replacing the turf at the Sitia Municipal Stadium, even though funding of 320,000 euros had been secured. Synthetic turf has a limited lifespan and, when it wears out, it increases the risk of injury to athletes, while at the same time it can lead to the loss of the certification required for official matches to be held. The question also raises the matter of creating a Lasithi Football Association Ground at the Lakonia pitch, in which the Lasithi Football Clubs Association has expressed interest and towards which the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos has taken a positive stance. The MPs also ask to be told whether an overall plan recording the needs in sports infrastructure for the entire Regional Unit of Lasithi has been drawn up.

The need to upgrade the infrastructure becomes more pressing ahead of the new competitive season. As is noted, the participation of AO Agios Nikolaos in the Γ΄ Εθνική and of its second team in the Α΄ division of the Lasithi Football Association for the 2026-2027 season increases the demands for training and match facilities. In the smaller districts of the country, where sports facilities are few and serve schools, amateur clubs and competitive-league teams at the same time, the deterioration of a single facility affects many activities in a chain reaction. Lasithi is the easternmost regional unit of Crete, with four municipalities and considerable distances between its urban centres, which makes the shared use of facilities more difficult.

The minister’s reply is expected to show whether funding is provided for the interventions the MPs are asking for and whether a timetable has been set for completing the project in Sitia. It has not been announced whether the matter of the Association Ground has progressed to the level of a study or the granting of a site. Nor has it become known whether the four municipalities have submitted applications to join any funding programme for sports infrastructure. Lasithi has recently seen other interventions in sport as well, such as the “Drireia 2026” in Neapoli. The deadline for answering a parliamentary question is as a rule thirty days.