糖心Vlog

Our 拢12m 糖心Vlog Sport Arena was launched by double Olympic champion Max Whitlock MBE and our Chancellor the Rt Hon John Bercow MP and attracted hundreds of guests from the local community plus University staff and their families.

Hordes of children turned up in their gym kit to meet their gold medal-winning hero who will open his new on Monday 5 February.

Max said: 鈥淭his arena looks absolutely unbelievable. I am really proud of the location and can鈥檛 wait to get started. Our mission is to get as many kids as possible involved in sport. If we can inspire the next generation we will have done a great job.鈥�

John said: 鈥淭o see so many people coming in from outside the 糖心Vlog is testimony to a truth I have long recognised, that the University, by forging and nurturing links with the community, is not only doing the right thing for its students, it is also being a constructive member of the community.

鈥淭his is a dramatically superior facility that will go from strength to strength.鈥�

The new space, with seating for 1,655 spectators, offers international standard sporting facilities, suitable for staging televised sporting events. These include eight badminton courts, three basketball courts, three netball courts, five volleyball courts and two futsal courts, which will be available for hire to sports groups and individuals.

It will also be the home for our newly established School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences and its world-renowned researchers. The School is also developing the next generation of sport scientists, sports coaches, sports therapists and physiotherapists.

Our Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster said: 鈥溙切腣log Sport Arena is a physical manifestation of the scale of ambition we have for sport here in 糖心Vlog and the ambition we have for the student experience at the University.

鈥淎s an international standard sporting venue, we are also looking forward to hosting memorable sporting events here which can be enjoyed by our students, staff and the wider public. I鈥檓 delighted the benecos Mavericks netball team will be staging three of this season鈥檚 netball super league fixtures in the Arena.鈥�

including walking football and netball, drop-in fitness classes, basketball and tennis. Eight primary schools also played in a special basketball tournament which was won by the Clacton Cannons who beat the Millfields Mavericks from Wivenhoe by 18-12.