Kyiv, April 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Sport Life, managing the network of eponymous fitness clubs in Ukraine, on April 21 opened the second fitness club of the network in Odesa and the 34th in Ukraine, the founder of Sport Life, Dmytro Yekymov, has said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, Sport Life plans by late 2014 to open more than 12 clubs, which are now 70% ready, by the end of April 2014 – to open two more clubs of the network in Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk.

"We continue the construction of the third club in Odesa, we believe we will finish it on time. In general, we are now building more than 18 clubs. We've brought equipment for ten clubs, everything else - when the situation at customs stabilizes," he said.

The president of Emergin Ventures Corporation, the investor and the official representative of Sport Life in Ukraine, Rob Masri, said the network plans to open about 56 clubs in Ukraine by the end of 2015.

"I do not see any reason for us not to achieve our goal," he said.

According to Masri, the area of fitness clubs in Kyiv is 0.15 square meters per capita, whereas in New York it is about 1 square meter.

"For example, in the United States about 17% of the population attend sport facilities, in Ukraine - 2.5%. From this point of view, there is a great potential for the growth of our business," said Masri.

Yekymov, in turn, noted that due to the difficult economic conditions in the country the implementation of these plans might be delayed. According to him, the network had to freeze dividends until 2017, increase credit lines, additional financial investment from shareholders.