The Princess Royal to open a new Medway sporting venue

Princess Anne will attend the first day of the 2011 Modern Pentathlon European Championships

President of the British Olympic Association, the Princess Royal, is to officially open a Kent sporting venue.

Princess Anne will unveil a plaque at a special ceremony at Medway Park in Gillingham on 28 July.

It will also be the first day of the Modern Pentathlon European Championships being held at the park.

The event is a 2012 Olympics qualifier and the top eight finishers in the men's and women's teams will go on to compete in London next year.

Princess Anne, who competed at the 1976 Olympics, will also have a tour of the park.

Councillor Rodney Chambers, the leader of Medway Council, said: "Medway Park is a fantastic facility for the whole of the community, as well as top athletes. I am sure the Princess will enjoy her day here."

2012 training camp

Formerly Black Lion Leisure centre, Medway Park is the result of an £11m development project and has a new 12-court multi-use sports hall, an eight-lane athletics track and a modern gym.

The venue has been approved by London 2012 organisers as a training camp for 13 Olympic and eight Paralympic Sports.

Barbados and Senegal have signed up to use the facility and the Portugese trampolining squad will use the neighbouring Jumpers Rebound Centre.

The 2011 Modern Pentathlon European Championships take place from Thursday 28 July to Monday 1 August.