|
Olympic Dreams Become Reality in Wigan
and Leigh
 The people of Leigh and Wigan took a giant leap towards being part of the
Olympic dream.
Leigh Sports Village and Robin Park Arena and Sports Centre have both
been included in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide.
Being part of the Training Camp Guide means that both sites could be
used as training facilities by competing nations from across the globe
as part of their preparations for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to
be held in London.
The Training Camp Guide will be handed over to all of the nations by
the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games LOCOG immediately
after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It is believed that Wigan Borough
is one of the few borough’s nationwide to have two facilities in the
guide.
Robin Park and Leigh Sports Village could be used for a variety of
sports including athletics, badminton, basketball, football, handball,
table tennis, volleyball and gymnastics.
Wigan Council Leader Lord Smith said: “I’m delighted by the news that
our borough has two potential Olympic training venues. Our commitment to
sport is second to none in Wigan and this is a real feather in the cap
for the borough, the council and the leisure trust. Having local
training camps would stimulate the economy and raise the borough’s
profile. It would also be a tremendous boost for our young people
aspiring to athletics excellence to observe Olympic standard athletes.
“When I went to the Ukraine a couple of weeks ago with Andy Burnham and
Trevor Barton, the government there was very interested to hear about
the fantastic new facilities at Leigh Sports Village and the Ukraine’s
historic connections with Leigh. Robin Park has some of the best
athletics facilities in the region and its inclusion on the list is
equally well merited.”
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust Chief Executive Rodney Hill said: “This
is a great opportunity for young people in the borough to be involved in
the Olympic games and to learn about other nations and cultures. This is
a great honour for Wigan and Leigh and we believe this will inspire
people to become involved in sport and physical activity and to aspire
to excellence.”
Leigh Sports Village Chief Executive Simon Toon said: “This is fantastic
news for the whole borough. We have developed world class facilities
here at Leigh Sports Village and this will help to put them under the
national spotlight. Hopefully this news will also help to inspire more
and more people to participate in sport locally and take advantage of
the first rate facilities on their doorstep.”
Wigan Borough Sports Council Chairman Trevor Barton said: “This shows
what we can do in Leigh and Wigan. We’ve worked hard over the last
twenty years to improve local sports facilities, so this is another
piece in the jigsaw of sporting excellence for our borough. The Olympic
Games is for everyone and this is a big step towards securing some real
involvement for local people in the greatest event in the cultural
calendar.”
For further information about London 2012 visit
www.london-2012.co.uk
For further information about Leigh Sports Village visit
www.leighsportsvillage.co.uk For further information about Robin Park
Arena and Sports Centre visit
www.wlct.org/robinpark
-ends-
►
Print this page
►
Return to Trust News
|