Graves centre chosen for Sheffield's £10m sports hub

A location has been chosen for the £10m Sheffield hub of the UK's first sports medicine centre.

Sheffield, Loughborough and London will each host hubs which will form the National Sports and Exercise Medicine Centre of Excellence.

They will promote fitness and treat injuries caused by exercise and conditions caused by lack of exercise.

The headquarters of the Sheffield project will be at the Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre at Norton.

Three other smaller units will be placed at locations to be determined in the north, west and east of the city, the council said.

The government is funding the £30m project as part of its Olympic legacy commitments. Work is expected to start on site next year.

The plan for the Graves site includes a replacement swimming pool, additional tennis courts, gymnastics and outdoor football, an extended fitness facility and associated rehabilitation and research services.

Steve Brailey, chief executive of Sheffield International Venues, which operates Graves, said: "We all know about rising levels of obesity and physical inactivity and Sheffield will be at the leading edge of the national effort to tackle these hugely important issues."