WIREDGOV

The Brunel University Athletics Centre will be officially opened by Alan Pascoe MBE, Chairman of Fast Track, Vice-Chairman of the London 2012 bid team, who is a former Brunel University student. Wilma Shakespear, National Director of the English Institute of Sport (EIS), will open the Netball Hall.

The indoor facilities are the latest development in the university’s £13 million sports complex which includes a £6 million outdoor field, track and tennis complex. The project has been funded by the University with the aid of a £2 million grant from the Sport England Lottery Fund; it is part of the London Olympics bid, as a training ground.

Taking part in the showpiece athletics competition on the day will be Olympic heptathlon bronze medallist and former Brunel student Kelly Sotherton. Kelly will open her account for the season in the 100m hurdles against fellow international heptathlete and Brunel graduate Julie Hollman.

The first match in the Netball Hall will be between the Brunel University London Hurricanes Super Cup Team and England Under 19s.

Later, on the track all eyes will be on the women’s 100m where holder of the British indoor record Emma Ania will look to improve her time of 11.80s against fellow Brunel students Kadi-Ann Thomas and Amala Onuora (British University Sports Association – BUSA - Indoor 60m silver medallist).

There will also be a national rowing 2000m record attempt by a paraplegic team using an indoor rowing machine that uses functional electrical stimulation (FES), jointly developed at Brunel University.

Much of Great Britain’s best young talent will be on show in the jumps with Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallists Bernard Yeboah and Nick Stanislavijevic heading the field in the long jump and high jump, respectively. Brunel student Yeboah will face tough competition on home ground from rising star Greg Rutherford, the AAA Indoor bronze medallist while Stanislavijevic takes on a field of England’s best young high jumpers including Robbie Grabarz and Mark Roberts.

BBC Sport athletics commentators Paul Dickenson and Stuart Storey will be compering the event.

Neil Young, Deputy Director of Sport at Brunel, said: “Brunel now has world-class sports training facilities, which will be a real draw for talented athletes progressing into higher education, making Brunel the university of choice for sport in the South of England. It’s also a big boost for athletes and coaches in London and the South East and we will be working hard to ensure that these fantastic new facilities are fully utilised by clubs, schools and colleges.”

The new sports facilities were constructed by Galliford Try Construction, of Uxbridge, and were designed by David Morley Architects, central London.