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Quit Whining About Money Being Squandered on Sports Stadiums, Says Orbán

• 28 Aug 2023 8:53 AM
• Hungary Matters

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in a radio interview on Friday, said that the stadium hosting the World Athletics Championships was “fantastic and friendly”, with audiences and the competitors alike experiencing an atmosphere of fairness where “we are happy to see others’ success and certainly also happy about our own”.

The world championships have proven that sports can make very beneficial contributions to people’s quality of life, not only in terms of health but also for community building and creating shared experiences.

The World Athletics Championships and the arena hosting it are among the best in the world, Orbán said. Athletes will spread the good reputation of Hungary worldwide, he said.

“Foreigners are now saying we are good hosts, that this is a decent country where everyone is welcome, a friendly country, and … one where the Christian roots of love can still be found,” he said.

The arenas built for sports also serve as venues for other kinds of events, he said. Puskás Aréna saw more concerts this year than football matches, so “the whining about money being squandered and about this being only about sports and the personal hobby of a few people, including the prime minister, is just not true,” he said.

Sports venues are community spaces serving all “well-meaning Hungarians” by hosting concerts, conferences and “other huge events”, he said.

“The cultural products of the western world don’t stop at Vienna anymore, they come to Budapest too,” he added.

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