Photo: Jørgen Johnsen, general manager of the Delta Iform fitness center in Karasjok, Norway received some of the brand new sports equipment

Norway's Sámi Parliament has allocated half a million kroner as a subsidy to upgrade a fitness center in the predominantly Sámi village of Karasjok. Jorgen Johnsen, general manager of the Delta Iform fitness center in Karasjok, hopes that the new sports facility will help people stay in the village.

We are very pleased with the grant. It's amazing that we were able to get so much money for our project, Johnsen comments.

Jørgen and his wife are currently renovating new premises of the fitness center, which has been in operation since 2017 and has approximately 280 regular visitors. The old fitness center was cramped and did not have all the necessary equipment.

Jørgen says it is not money that motivates him to continue running the fitness center, but the desire to create a sense of social well-being for the residents of Karasjok. Indeed, Statistics Norway predicts that the population of the municipality will decrease, from the current 2550 to 2508 people in 2030.

Directly across the street from the old fitness center building, a married couple of entrepreneurs purchased the building of a closed fish factory with the goal of doubling the space of the fitness center. A total of NOK 7 million will be invested in the construction.

Photo: The Chairman of Norway's Sámi Parliament, Silje Karine Muotka

By supporting the project, we enable the company to renew itself and develop, says Muotka.

In addition, improving the sports infrastructure in Sámi-populated Karasjok will contribute to the social well-being of the local population and reduce the rate of depopulation of one of the most populous Sámi municipalities in Norway.

Source: NRK

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