HOUSE OF SPORT 3: BUILDING THE FUTURE

Community

The Cardiff City House of Sport has continued to grow at an astonishing rate since its launch in November 2010.



Having started as a single indoor 3G training pitch, the coaching excellence centre grew to offer two high-quality indoor training facilities by April 2013 (the second, a polyurethane multi-sports facility), capable of housing sports including football, rugby, netball, futsal, basketball, handball and many more. From grassroots to elite first-team level – the House of Sport has become a bedrock of the local sports community and Cardiff City Football Club.

Backed, invaluably, by Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Steve Borley – each of whom actively support sport development in Cardiff and the surrounding areas - the House of Sport facilities have progressed even further in recent months with the construction of HOS3. The new addition to the House of Sport’s training centres boasts four indoor tennis courts and two additional netball courts, along with the first roller rink of its kind in Wales.



Speaking proudly about the strides that have been taken to increase participation in various sports in South Wales, Executive Director, Joanna Borley, commented on the expansions and development of the House of Sport 3.

“The facilities are really taking shape now and are nearing completion,” she began. “We are now looking to open the facility before the end of the calendar year.

"Our new build here at the House of Sport 3 is primarily directed at three main sports – as it has several new tennis courts and an overflow facility for netball, as well as a roller rink.

“We are working alongside two organisations, Tennis Wales and the Diamond Tennis Academy, to develop and increase participation in tennis here in South Wales. The new indoor courts are top of the range and we’re sure that they will help us to do just that and get people involved in the sport.

“We’re also looking to support the growth of netball. There has been a rapid increase in participation levels of netball in Wales recently. With our additional courts here, we are looking to host that growth at the House of Sport too.

“The House of Sport 3 is going to have the first roller facility in Wales with a purpose built, brand new option. The roller rink is virtually booked out even before we’ve opened the doors, which is great, as it looks set to be a very popular addition.”



Cardiff City FC CEO and House of Sport Executive Director, Ken Choo, added: “The further development of the House of Sport, which is part of our greater vision of developing sport in Wales, is very exciting.

“We’ve seen how popular the original House of Sport facilities have been since 2010, in allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to participate and grow through sport. We know how unpredictable the weather can be in these parts, so having multi-functional facilities in warm, light, clean and safe environments is critical.

“I’m extremely pleased to be working with Joanna and Steve and further realising Tan Sri Vincent’s vision of Welsh sports development.”

CLICK BELOW (07.48) TO WATCH JOANNA'S INTERVIEW