Shropshire’s top sporting venues have been named today as training camps to host visiting Olympic teams ahead of the 2012 Games in London.
A total of seven county venues have been named in the line-up of 600 sporting facilities across the UK.
Business chiefs said it would be a huge boost to the county economy, with many sporting fans expected to flock to the area to watch pre-game training.
Lilleshall National Sports Centre, where England-star Michael Owen trained, was listed as one of the training camps for 13 sports.
Teams will travel to Lilleshall to prepare for their Olympic performances in archery, badminton, fencing, football, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, trampolining, hockey, table tennis, tae kwon do, indoor volleyball and weightlifting.
In Telford, AFC Telford United’s New Bucks Head ground was chosen for Olympic stars to practice their football, while Harper Adams University College, near Newport, was selected for its archery facilities.
Telford Athletics Stadium will also welcome a host of athletes, while Telford College of Arts and Technology will be used by badminton and basketball players.
Shrewsbury’s multi-million pound sports village, which opened in 2006, has also been listed for its badminton and basketball facilities, while teams will be using Shrewsbury School for archery and fencing.
Nick Graham, chief executive of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are absolutely delighted.
“It is recognition of all of the investment that has gone on in these areas all over Shropshire over the past few years. The link with Shropshire of course goes back to the Wenlock Olympics Society so it is part of Shropshire heritage.”
One Comment
I didn’t realise we had any top sporting venues in shropshire, well not compared to other counties.