Princes Park Stadium selected as Olympic training venue

DARTFORD’S Princes Park Stadium has been chosen as one of the 130 Olympic training venues for the south-east, writes Stephen McCartney.

The £6.5m home of the Ryman League Division One North leaders has been chosen, along with Gillingham, Milton Keynes Dons, Woking and Wycombe Wanderers, ahead of the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Dartford’s council leader, Jeremy Kite, has praised the decision to include three of the Borough’s top sporting venues as potential training facilities for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games saying the move shows support for the council’s investment in first-rate facilities.

Princes Park Stadium, opened in November 2006, is among 31 venues in Kent that will be included in a list of facilities suitable for training for visiting teams that will be issued at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The venues were chosen by The London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

“I’m really chuffed that Dartford has three venues put forward as potential training venues, even more so that the Council is directly is directly responsible for two of them,” Kite told www.dartford.gov.uk.

“Princes Park sets the standard for ecological design and the award-winning Judo centre is the natural home for the world’s top Judo players.

“We planned and built these two venues to provide facilities for our residents so anything on top of this is a bonus.

“There is no question that our three venues are more than capable of catering for visiting teams’ training needs and I’m pleased to see this has been recognised by LOCOG.”

Dartford’s £4.5m Judo centre is home to the internationally renowned Dartford Judo Club and is already used for national and international training.

The £6.5m Princes Park Stadium us the ecologically sustainable home to Dartford Football Club and includes golf course and a third generation astro turf community pitch.

The other Dartford venue, Arrow Riding School, has a well deserved reputation for disabled equestrians.

The three Dartford venues were among a list of facilities across Kent which were put forward to LOCOG by Kent County Council’s Sport, Leisure and Olympics Service.

Article courtesy of www.dartford.gov.uk