GB captain excited about Medway's sporting future
As part of the celebrations to mark 10 years of Medway Council, elite athlete and GB athletics captain Michael Baker has written about his experiences of Medway's sporting development and its future on and off the sportsfield.
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"The announcement that London is to host the 2012 Olympic Games was undoubtedly one of the highlights for British sport, not only in the last 10 years but historically. I’m sure, like me, you will remember where you were when Jacque Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, took an age to read out London - and the sheer buzz you got following the announcement. "The opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games is less than five years away but even before the decision was made, the development of sport since the arrival of Medway Council 10 years ago has been well under way. This decision, though, was a catalyst for an exciting future for the Medway area. "Facility development as well as redevelopment has been rife in Medway. Such facilities include the international quality centres for table tennis and trampoline at the Howard Table Tennis Centre and the Jumpers Rebound centre respectively. |
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"The creation of a second pitch, as well as the relaying of the first pitch at Holcombe Hockey club, has seen them become a national league side in recent years.
"As well as developing facilities, the past 10 years have seen a number of high profile sporting competitions come to Medway. The most high profile of these was the Tour De France, watched by millions globally as the course wound through Rochester and other parts of Medway and on to the rest of Kent.
"The arrival of some of the best British table tennis players, as well as an international contingent, at the Black Lion for the Butterfly Grand Prix series is a further example of Medway’s growing reputation for sport. The future is also exciting for sporting competitions, with the 2010 Modern Pentathlon World Cup coming to the soon-to-be-redeveloped Black Lion Leisure Centre.
"The current situation of sport in Medway is extremely exciting. Through the efforts of the London 2012 team at Medway Council, the area has been included in the 2012 Olympic training camp booklet. With the extensive range of facilities that will be created through major redevelopment of the Black Lion leisure centre as Medway Park, the chance to host an international team prior to the 2012 Games seems ever more likely. This will bring much prosperity to the region through business and the use of secondary facilities such as hotels, restaurants and the many local tourist attractions Medway has to offer.
"The creation of a financial support service for Medway’s many national and international-level athletes, as well as sports science support from the University of Kent in Chatham, also confirms that Medway is serious about the future of sport here. Hopefully the effort that Medway Council is putting into promoting sport, sport facilities and its athletes will result not only in better standards in the area but also many successes on the global stage too."
Michael Baker (2008 Medway Sports Ambassador)
Back to April 2008 news
Article courtesy of Medway Messenger