Excellence centre planned
OTAGO wants to build a $1.1 million centre of cricket excellence at Logan Park and is pushing on with plans despite the world experiencing the Covid19 pandemic.
Otago Cricket Association chief executive Mike Coggan said yesterday the aim of the project would be to create a worldclass cricket and education facility.
The Otago International Centre of Cricket Excellence would aim to entice promising players from New Zealand and overseas to live in Dunedin. They would play and develop their game through a professional academy while studying at the same time.
The OCA has partnered with Otago Polytechnic to provide education opportunities.
As well as developing players, the centre would also develop coaches and officials at various levels.
The goal was to develop international players and game officials.
The centre would look to build a giant greenhouse which would house 12 to 14 grass wickets able to be used yearround on land at Logan Park.
The OCA will make a submission to the Dunedin City Council annual plan to allow it to use land which is used at present as tennis courts near Harbour Tce.
Tennis Otago is developing the tennis centre at Logan Park and no longer needs the land.
Coggan said the association did not factor Covid19 into the project and acknowledged it was being launched at a stressful time for the city, region and country.
But the board believed it was important to push on with the project and all it was asking for at the moment was to secure the land from the council. It would then fundraise over the next couple of years.
Coggan also acknowledged Otago was the smallest major association in New Zealand and, to remain relevant and have strong sides, it had to do things differently and be innovative.
Players attracted to the centre would play cricket in the region and would hopefully boost the Otago side and also the club competition.