SPORTS stars from Teesside and beyond gather this week to launch the flagship Middlesbrough Sports Village.
They’re taking part in a Future Champions Day opening event on Friday (May 15) which will see young people from across the town taking part in a range of sporting activity to showcase the iconic venue.
Guests at tomorrow’s event will include Active Middlesbrough ambassadors sprinter Richard Kilty, Paralympian Jade Jones, distance runner Matty Hynes and track star Rabah Youssif.
Students from eight schools will take part in a range of ten indoor and outdoor demonstration activities including athletics, futsal, netball, tennis, karate and hockey.
The launch event will be followed by an Open Weekend featuring a number of free activities, both at Middlesbrough Sports Village and at other Active Middlesbrough venues.
Middlesbrough Sports Village represents a total investment of £21 million and will be a major regional base for a wide range of sports and physical activity.
The state-of-the-art facility features an athletics stadium with 400m track, an indoor 40m athletics track, fitness gym, indoor multi sports court incorporating a show court for basketball, netball, futsal and roller hockey with seating for 300 spectators.
The Hub building is also home to a Children’s Fun Village and WattCycle Studio, while the wider site includes a 1km Cycle Circuit, Plaza Skate Park, and eleven-a-side, seven-a-side and five-a-side 3G pitches. Work on a 250m cycle velodrome is due for completion in the autumn.
The MSV will be a site for local, regional and national level sporting competition and Active Middlesbrough are already working in partnership with local clubs including Middlesbrough Roller Hockey, Mohawks Basketball, Middlesbrough Futsal and Middlesbrough Mandale Athletic Club.
Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd, who will welcome guests to tomorrow’s event, said: “The aim from the outset was to create an iconic sports destination of regional significance, and that is exactly what has been delivered.
“An enormous amount of work has gone into the creation of a first class venue for the whole community, and I’m grateful to everyone who has played a part in making the dream a reality.
“The Sports Village will play a vital role in helping more local people get involved in physical activity and lead healthier lifestyles, as well as being a focal point for local, regional and national level competition.
“And there’s more to come with work under way an Olympic-size velodrome thanks to our ongoing partnership with British Cycling.
“This is a really important statement about this town’s ambition for the future, and I am sure it will help to nurture the careers of many sporting stars of the future.”
- For further information on Middlesbrough Sports Village, contact the venue on 01642 728555, email msv@middlesbrough.gov.uk or visit www.middlesbroughsportsvillage.co.uk