Town to net £3m tennis centre

SCOTLAND i s to get a state-of-the-art indoor tennis centre to satisfy the demand for year-round access to a sport in which the nation is now a world leader.

A four-court arena is to be built in St Andrews with the aim of encouraging more people to pursue tennis at all levels.

The £3 million centre is being funded by St A n d r e w s U n i v e r s i t y, spor tscotland, Tennis Scotland, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), a private donor and the St Andrews alumni community. It will be built at the university’s sports centre at St Leonard’s Road.

St Andrews is investing more than £14m i n its sports facilities, which have won praise from Manchester United, Barcelona, Dundee United, Scottish Rugby and a host of other professional teams who are regular visitors to Fife for training camps.

The new centre will allow the university to achieve its aim of running a comprehensive and inclusive tennis programme that caters for increasing participation, competitive opportunities and coaching for all ages and levels.

Schools in Fife will have regular access to the centre on school days, and student tennis players will be encouraged to work with youngsters to develop coaching and volunteering experience. The centre will also cater for a rapidly growing student tennis club programme, from recreational to top team level.