Axarquía villages to receive 1.2-million-euro investment for new sports facilities

The funds will be transferred directly to the two town halls, which will then be responsible for organising and putting the contracts for the work out to tender. The president of the Diputación, Francisco Salado, explained that the funding is in response to the requests made by both local councils as part of its policy to support the improvement of public facilities in smaller towns and villages.

“The provincial authority is fully committed to improving sports facilities in the municipalities,” said Salado. The president also argued that this type of infrastructure is important “not only for improving the quality of life of residents in smaller villages”, but also as a means of promoting their development and combating population decline.

The project presented by El Borge town hall proposes the construction of an indoor sports hall featuring a multi-purpose court, changing rooms for teams, toilets for spectators, an entrance and reception area and rooms for technical facilities.

The aim is for the village to have a permanent sports facility that can be used all year round and that reduces its dependence on weather conditions. The new facility will enable the sports programme to be expanded and provide an indoor venue for training sessions, activities and competitions.

In Árchez, which is home to just 444 registered residents, the provincial investment will total 255,000 euros and will be allocated to the existing multi-sports ground on Calle La Vega. The council’s project involves installing a retractable roof, a solution that will protect the facility from both the sun and high temperatures as well as from rain, thereby extending the range of uses throughout the year.

The court will also be used by the local primary school and serve as a venue for social activities and events. The lack of a roof currently limits its use to certain times of the day and seasons of the year, particularly due to weather conditions. The planned work is expected to take six months to complete.

Salado said that the facilities will help to “combat depopulation by making life in a village more attractive”, particularly in inland towns where the range of sports and leisure facilities is more limited than in the major cities.

These new investments also form part of the provincial programme launched in 2025, when the Diputación allocated 8.2 million euros to a grant scheme aimed at improving sports facilities in twelve municipalities in Malaga province. These included Alcaucín, Canillas de Albaida and Salares in the Axarquía. In other parts of the province Casarabonela, Sierra de Yeguas and Yunquera received funding to build new sports centres.

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