Sportski centar Franko Mileta

Most grounds in Labin belong to the old world of coal and stone, but Sportski centar Franko Mileta belongs to the new one. It sits on Rudarska ulica 2. The city built it to hold events that no longer fit in the open air. The main hall holds 900 seated.

It opened in 2017, a date that marks the end of an era for the old stadium and the beginning of something else. The handball teams moved in from the cold, finding a home that matches their pace. They train on the same surface where a band once played to 2,500 people. The concert attendance record sits at 2,500, a figure that makes the 900 seats look like a suggestion rather than a limit. When a crowd like that fills the room, the pressure mounts. There is no value left at a smaller number when the energy is this high.

The complex has two other rooms, but they are quiet compared to the main hall. You can hear the city breathing through the walls, but the focus remains on what happens on the floor. It is a place where the past and the present meet, not in the stands, but in the beams above. The management keeps it running, ensuring the lights stay on and the floor remains smooth. It is not a temple of sport, but it is a shelter for it. When the rain falls outside, the game continues inside without interruption. The players feel the difference immediately.