Horsham Commonwealth Games medal winner calls on council to retain indoor athletics facility

A Horsham athlete who won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games last week has called for the retention of indoor athletics facilities when a new Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre is built.
England's Jade Lally with her bronze medal for the Women's Discus, at Hampden Park, during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday August 1, 2014. See PA story COMMONWEALTH Athletics. Photo credit should read: John Giles/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use. No video emulation. COMMONWEALTH_Athletics_200930.JPEngland's Jade Lally with her bronze medal for the Women's Discus, at Hampden Park, during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday August 1, 2014. See PA story COMMONWEALTH Athletics. Photo credit should read: John Giles/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use. No video emulation. COMMONWEALTH_Athletics_200930.JP
England's Jade Lally with her bronze medal for the Women's Discus, at Hampden Park, during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday August 1, 2014. See PA story COMMONWEALTH Athletics. Photo credit should read: John Giles/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use. No video emulation. COMMONWEALTH_Athletics_200930.JP

Currently Horsham District Council is not planning to replace the indoor ‘tube’ when it redevelops the Broadbridge Heath Quadrant and provides a new leisure facility, despite calls from the Joint User Group (JUG) to retain the facility.

Jade Lally, who works and trains at the leisure centre, won bronze in the women’s discus in Glasgow on Friday.

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Jade said: “I want to thank Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre for being so supportive and giving me so much time off to train and compete.

“Also it is really important for people to know we are still fighting to have our new site include an indoor training facility to replace the tube we are losing at our new venue. Lots of athletes, including myself, rely on training indoors during the winter. It is impossible to train for the technical events in the snow and rain.”

Paul Kornycky, deputy chairman of the JUG, added: “As a regular user of the indoor athletics facilities at the leisure centre (known as the tube), Jade is a strong supporter of our campaign to retain them, as part of a new multi-purpose second sports hall.

“Surely HDC must now acknowledge the importance of proper re-provision of such facilities to enable our local athletes to succeed.

The council committed to building a smaller replacement centre when it demolishes the current one in June 2012 after months of campaigning by leisure centre users.

Sport - from page 104