Netball and Tennis big winners in Olympic Park upgrade
Published Mon 07 Jan 2019
Netball and tennis players and fans are set to benefit from a major upgrade to create an international level facility for both sports in Western Sydney.
In its first major upgrade since the 2000 Olympics, a new roof will be installed over Ken Rosewall Arena and Show Court 1 to create an all-weather high-performance environment for both sports. Plans also include improvements to players’ facilities, lighting, seating and public amenities.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres to announce the $50.5 million upgrade to the Tennis Centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
“This upgrade will provide better facilities for netball and tennis fans and athletes, and provide opportunities for both sports to meet growing demand especially in Western Sydney,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Netball NSW CEO Carolyn Campbell supported the announcement and said that by providing access to a purpose-built facility, netball will continue to see strong growth.“Netball is one of the top sports in NSW when it comes to participation, and is the market leader for women and young girls. Sydney requires a fit for purpose indoor venue to accommodate our professional franchises, the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball.”
“Today’s announcement is a wonderful development, which will provide us with a much more cost-effective venue that also allows us to raise the number of people who will be able to watch our game at the elite level.”
Tennis NSW CEO Lawrence Robertson welcomed the news, stating that the upgrade will allow tennis to attract new events and the best international talent.
"The redevelopment of Ken Rosewall Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre is extremely exciting for tennis in NSW and for Sydney. It will ensure that the facility here remains one of the nation’s premier tennis facilities and allows us to bid for new world-class events such as the ATP World Team Cup,” said Mr Robertson.
"Sydney has a long tennis history and is home to one of the world's oldest professional tennis tournaments. These upgrades will go a long way to ensure we are in the best possible position to continue that tradition when the biggest event outside of the Grand Slams makes its debut on the tennis calendar in January 2020.”
Please visit the NSW Government website to read the complete Media Release from the Premier here