Of Sports in Raplamaa

The sports life in Rapla County is directed, organised and coordinated by Rapla County Sports Association (established in 1990) and the chief specialist in sports activities of the county government in cooperation with sports clubs and local governments. The county has a long tradition of well-functioning sports system. Different sports units (sports association, sports clubs and council of physical education) cooperate. Local governments support the organisation of county and local sports events. As of 1 January 2001 the sports activities of the school youth in the county are organised by Rapla County Sports Association, a coordinator of the sports activities of the school youth has been appointed into office.
The most popular events of the competitions and championships of the school youth are cross-country race, track and field and basketball competitions and a competition series for primary school students which consists of skiing, running and track and field competitions.

Adults can participate in county competitions in 20 sports fields. The most popular sports fields are basketball, volleyball and football, mountain biking, wrestling and pairs volleyball. The events with the biggest number of people attending are the county winter and summer games.

Raplamaa can be proud of its top athletes who set an example to youth and also of its hard-working and successful sports veterans. The latter are not only setting an example with their active look on life and sports results but also acting as carriers of sports history. Many successful sports celebrities such as Gerd Kanter...and many others are from Raplamaa.

There are numerous gyms in the county and they are being gradually renovated. In 2002 a gym was finished in Käru Basic School and Valtu swimming pool was renovated. In 2004 Kohila sports complex and Varbola gym were finished, Märjamaa swimming pool was renovated, extensions were built in Märjamaa Secondary School and Rapla Co-Educational Secondary School which improved the possibilities for having physical education classes. In Eidapere, Russalu and Pahkla new playing fields were established with the help of Estonian Olympic Committee and local governments. In 2005 the universal hall of Estonian Breeders Association was reopened in Keava.

The number of sports club in the county has increased in recent years. Among Estonia’s strongest and most active sports clubs and associations belong the Juhan wrestling club, Valgu’s Pingo table tennis club, Järvakandi’s Ilves sporting bow club, Rapla basketball club, Juuru sports club, Orvand orientation club and FC Flora football school.
For many years Raplamaa has given recognition to its best athletes, their coaches and sports activists.

Since 1961 the best athletes of the year have been selected and the awarding of the athletes and their coaches has throughout times been on the level of top managers. Since 1998 the manager of the department of education and culture holds a reception for the best school athletes of the county.
In 2005 the compilation of the sports history of the county was started.