August 7- Indications that Volgograd will retain host status for the Russia 2018 World Cup could not have been stronger with the announcement that the Zenit sports complex in the city will receive 56 million rubles ($1.5 million) for reconstruction enabling it to become one of the training centres for the tournament.
There was speculation earlier this week that the funds allocated for the build of a new stadium in Volgograd, to be sited next to the current stadium, would not be enough to complete the build.
Construction company Stroitransgaz said that the budget needed to increase from the current 15 billion rubles ($419 million) to at least 17 billion rubles ($475 million), and that it would have to pull out if that extra money was not available.
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko stepped in quickly saying that the budgets had not been fixed by government inspectors and that their report needed to be received first before any decisions were made.
The reconstruction of the Zenit Sports Complex will see the venue upgraded to include self contained power lines, gas boiler, a covered grandstand for 500 seats, rooms for press conferences, new changing rooms, parking, fencing and a security system.
The build of the new stadium in Vogograd is scheduled to begin later this year.
Russians test visa-free entry
Russia is testing visa entry procedures in advance of the 2018 World Cup at the world rowing championships that started August 6.
Russia has promised that visa entry into the country will be made a much simpler and faster process for the 2018 World Cup.
National rowing teams have been granted entry via their Word Championship accreditation. Mutko says that the system has removed a lot of the previous entry difficulties and that it would be tested against at the judo championships in Chelyabinsk and for FINA’s World Aquatics Championships in Kazan.
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