Albania will host the first ‘Rafa Nadal Sport Center’ in the coastal city of Durres, 30 kilometers from the capital, Tirana, with the aim of “developing and promoting tennis and sport” in this country, and will reaffirm the commitment of the tennis player in “promoting values in sport and education in young people and adults around the world,” as announced this Thursday by the Balearic Islands academy in a statement.
The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and the winner of 22 Grand Slams held a meeting after which they agreed that this country will host “a multi-sport complex that will implement the training methodology of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.”
This construction will have 12 tennis courts, 6 paddle tennis courts, a multi-sports court, gym and wellness area, swimming pool and restaurant area, as well as a shop and a museum with some Rafa Nadal trophies as well as objects donated by great athletes.
The Spanish tennis player stated that “it is a joy to announce the upcoming construction and opening of a center in Albania.” “The project is incredible and we have loved the country’s vision of promoting sport and its values. I am convinced that it will be a success,” he declared.
For his part, Edi Rami, who confirmed that this complex will be located next to a new Manchester City football center, praised Nadal. “There are many champions and great professionals in the world of sports, but there are not as many champions in life and human values as Rafa,” he noted.
“From a distance I have always had the impression that Rafa is a great man, but now upon meeting him I admire his modesty and his way of being even more. I believe that the value of this center will not only consist of learning to play tennis or other sports, but in helping children and young people understand how important it is to be both a good professional and a good person,” he explained.
The Rafa Nadal Sport Center emerge as a new line of sports centers inspired by the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. These complexes can be located both in high-class holiday complexes, offering added value to tourists, and in international cities, aimed at a resident audience.
In first-class sports facilities and with a wide variety of sports programs, “the Rafa Nadal Sport Center will offer an incomparable experience for fans of tennis and sports in general.” “Both children and adults will be able to benefit from tennis and paddle tennis schools for adults and children, as well as fitness, wellness, health and restaurant services, with the aim of creating a sports, healthy and family environment,” they say from the academy.
With this upcoming construction, Albania will join Greece, Mexico and Hong Kong, which already have a Rafa Nadal Tennis Center. The next inauguration of the project will take place in Egypt this coming September, when a Rafa Nadal Tennis Program will be established, while the Rafa Nadal Academy will continue to be based in Mallorca and Kuwait.
“The international department, consolidated after the entry of GPF, continues to work on the expansion and opening of new educational and sports centers focused on training its students and athletes in the same values that have guided Rafa Nadal towards personal and professional success” , concluded from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.
