“Olympic Centre “Ventspils”” Ltd. is one of the biggest and modern sports complexes in Latvia dealing with promotion of the Olympic movement and facilitating high achievements in sports and developing of mass sports.  The Olympic Centre “Ventspils” manages Basketball and Ice Halls, Stadium, Hotel, Ventspils swimming pool, Sports Hall “Pārventa”, Football Stadium at Katoļu Street, Sports House “Centre”, Winter and Summer Skateparks,  Water Park “Ventspils” and the Adventure Park.  Shareholders of the Olympic Centre “Ventspils” are Ventspils City Council and Latvian Olympic Committee.

The idea on establishing Olympic Centres in Latvia appeared in the end of 1994, when first Olympic Centres were founded in Ventspils and Daugavpils.  In 2008, such centres exist as independent sports organisations already in 10 municipalities.

Looking back to the history of establishing the Olympic Centre “Ventspils”, the following most important development stages shall be noted:

• December 30, 1994 – foundation meeting of the Olympic Centre “Ventspils” takes place.
• February 8, 1995 - the Olympic Centre “Ventspils” is registered with the Register of Enterprises of LR.
• May, 1996 – commissioning of two tennis courts with artificial covering.
• October 25, 1997 – the Basketball Hall opening celebration.
• 1999 – renovation of the stadium, construction of a modern, heatable football field with natural lawn.
• 1999 – beginning of construction of the Ice Hall, that together with the Arena of track-and-field athletics was completed in November 2000 and acknowledged as the best new construction of that year.
• August, 2000 – opening of the Summer skatepark, which was additionally enlarged during next years.
• 2000 - the Olympic Centre “Ventspils” becomes a manager of Ventspils Swimming pool.
• Summer 2001 – launching of two new tennis courts.
• Autumn, 2001 – beginning of construction of the Water Park “Ventspils”, which started to operate already in May, 2000.
• May, 2003 - the Water Park “Ventspils” is complemented with several new facilities.
• 2003 – opening of the Hotel** of the Olympic Centre “Ventspils”.
• 2003 – renovation of the Stadium.
• Autumn, 2005 – launching of the Winter skatepark.
• December, 2005 – launching of the Ski Hill “Lemberga hūte”.
• 2006 – the Summer skatepark was complemented with a new big ramp.
• 2006 – opening of the Sports Hall “Pārventa”.
• 2006 – beginning of construction of the Sports House “Centre”.
• 2007 – reconstruction of the football field next to the Sports Hall “Pārventa”.
• 2007 – launching of the “Adventure Park” with BMX track and a football field.
• 2007 – beginning of renovation of Ventspils swimming pool.
• Spring, 2007 – beginning of construction of a service building of the “Adventure Park”, which was commissioned in the end of 2007.
• May, 2008 – opening of the Sports House “Centre”.
• It is planned to complete the large renovation of Ventspils swimming pool by the end of 2008.

During the past years various large-scale culture and sports events have taken place in the Olympic Centre. These included Latvian Olympic Games and Latvian Youth Olympic Games, Women’s and Youth World Ice Hockey Championships, Track-and-field Competition “Ventspils šķēpi”, European Championship in short-track and orientation sports and many other events. Eurovision National Finals and closing concerts of Latvian Song Contest “Muzikālā banka” have also become traditional. 

The Olympic Centre “Ventspils” not only provides training facilities corresponding to the international requirements, but also renders financial support to talented and promising sportsmen, which is a part of the programme “Supporting high class sportsmen and perspective sportsmen of Ventspils”.  Over 30 sports clubs of the city train in the sports facilities of the Olympic Centre “Ventspils” every day and teams from all over Latvia and foreign countries come here to improve their sports mastery.