Russia World Cup Stadium In Volgograd To Be Completed In November 2017

Local government officials said that Volgograd's new football stadium for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, being built on the site of the old Central Stadium, "will be completed in November 2017," according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. A government contract "has already been signed" for 16.5B rubles ($288B), and a down payment of 5B rubles ($87M) has already been made. The stadium "will be part of a sports complex that already houses a swimming pool and an athletics track." A basketball center "will also be built." Local Volgograd government "are claiming the project is a triumph for local firms with about 40 local companies already contracted to provide materials or work on the stadium." Volgograd Assistant Governor Vasiliy Galushkin said that the running costs of the stadium will be 18M-20M rubles ($309,400-$343,800) per month, and "that it is important these costs are covered in future operations" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 12/12).