Latest news with #Olympic-standard
Dubai Eye
23-05-2025
- Business
- Dubai Eye
Two-time Olympic champion steps in as sports advisor at Dubai's new flagship school
Two-time Olympic gold medallist and President of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, will step in as special advisor for sports at the flagship GEMS School of Research and Innovation that will open in August. Coe will bring his vast experience in elite sport and youth development to support the school's vision, said Gems in a statement. In his advisory role, Coe will work with the school's senior leadership team to ensure that excellence in physical education and wellbeing is fully integrated into the learning experience, supporting students to build confidence, resilience, and lifelong health and physical habits. 'The facilities and ambition at SRI are world-class. But more importantly, the vision to develop well-rounded global citizens who understand teamwork, perseverance, and personal bests is one I wholeheartedly share," he said. The school, pegged as the "most expensive", features state-of-the -art facilities, including a 400m track, 50m Olympic-standard swimming pool, FIFA-standard elevated football pitch, and a world-class gymnasium. Coe's "experience will be invaluable in shaping a truly integrated and future-ready education at the GEMS School of Research and Innovation," highlighted Sunny Varkey, Chairman and Founder of GEMS Education. The school earlier announced the appointment of former UK foreign secretary William Hague, former Chief Inspector of Ofsted Amanda Spielman, and former UK Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb in advisory roles.
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Abandoned UK stadium that hosted FA Cup 110 years ago to undergo £130million regeneration after it was left to rot
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE CRYSTAL PALACE National Sports Centre – the site of 21 FA Cup finals – is undergoing a £130million refurb and could host top-class athletics by the end of the decade. The iconic sports venue in South London, which includes an abandoned Olympic-standard swimming pool, has fallen into a state of disrepair over the past decade. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is set to undergo a major refurb Credit: FAULKNER DOWNES 4 A whopping £130million will be sunk into the venue, which has become aged Credit: FAULKNER DOWNES 4 The revamp could lead to the venue hosting top athletics by the end of the decade Credit: FAULKNER DOWNES The area had been left to rot, with PIGEON POO all over the indoor track, leaks in the roof and floodlights that were closed off on safety grounds. There had also been sightings of foxes and rats darting in-between the rusty old stands. Yet since the summer of 2023, work has begun to restore the arena back to its former glories, starting with long-overdue track repairs. And now 'new concept images' have been released by the Mayor of London that show the potential transformation of the outdoor athletics arena and the swimming facilities inside the Grade-II listed building – with a completion date of 2028. READ MORE SPORTS NEWS SEE RU LATER Amorim offers to LEAVE Utd 'without compensation' after horror Spurs loss The hope is that future Diamond League meetings could be held there in front of a capacity crowd of 35,000. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged millions to improve the sporting facilities at the Sports Centre that opened in 1964 and is just two miles from Selhurst Park, home of FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. And building firm Morgan Sindall Construction have been appointed to deliver the Centre's improved design and build. A pre-construction period has started, which includes detailed applications for planning and listed building consent, with major works planned to commence in the second half of 2026. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged millions of pounds to revamp the venue Credit: PA The redevelopment will include a complete rebuild of the structure of the swimming and diving pools and 'improved sporting facilities'. The location holds a special place in British sporting history – with 20 men's FA Cup finals, excluding replays, held on the same site between 1895 and 1914. How Crystal Palace outsmarted Man City in FA Cup final It was also the historic venue for the first Women's FA Cup final in 1971, which was won by Southampton Ladies. It also hosted some of the greatest international athletics events in the UK – Usain Bolt ran a 200 metres race in front of 15,000 people at the London Grand Prix just weeks before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. And Steve Ovett, Seb Coe and Steve Cram are among the other track-and-field icons who have raced there. Khan said: 'Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is an historic and much-loved sporting and community facility where many UK sporting stars have started their careers and trained but which needs major investment and refurbishment. 'I'm committed to this once-in-a-generation redevelopment of the site which will secure its future for decades to come. 'With short-term improvements already delivered and Morgan Sindall Construction now appointed to deliver the design and build of the centre. "We look forward to working closely with partners and the local community to create an outstanding sporting venue as we work together to build a better, healthy London for all.'
The Irish Sun
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Abandoned UK stadium that hosted FA Cup 110 years ago to undergo £130million regeneration after it was left to rot
THE CRYSTAL PALACE National Sports Centre – the site of 21 FA Cup finals – is undergoing a £130million refurb and could host top-class athletics by the end of the decade. The iconic sports venue in South London , which includes an abandoned Olympic-standard swimming pool , has fallen into a state of disrepair over the past decade. 4 The Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is set to undergo a major refurb Credit: FAULKNER DOWNES 4 A whopping £130million will be sunk into the venue, which has become aged Credit: FAULKNER DOWNES 4 The revamp could lead to the venue hosting top athletics by the end of the decade Credit: FAULKNER DOWNES The area had been left to rot, with PIGEON POO all over the indoor track, leaks in the roof and floodlights that were closed off on safety grounds. There had also been sightings of foxes and rats darting in-between the rusty old stands. Yet since the summer of 2023, work has begun to restore the arena back to its former glories, starting with long-overdue track repairs. And now 'new concept images' have been released by the Mayor of London that show the potential transformation of the outdoor athletics arena and the swimming facilities inside the Grade-II listed building – with a completion date of 2028. READ MORE SPORTS NEWS The hope is that future Diamond League meetings could be held there in front of a capacity crowd of 35,000. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged millions to improve the sporting facilities at the Sports Centre that opened in 1964 and is just two miles from Selhurst Park, home of FA Cup winners And building firm Morgan Sindall Construction have been appointed to deliver the Centre's improved design and build. A pre-construction period has started, which includes detailed applications for planning and listed building consent, with major works planned to commence in the second half of 2026. Most read in Sport JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged millions of pounds to revamp the venue Credit: PA The redevelopment will include a complete rebuild of the structure of the swimming and diving pools and 'improved sporting facilities'. The location holds a special place in British sporting history – with 20 men's FA Cup finals, excluding replays, held on the same site between 1895 and 1914. How Crystal Palace outsmarted Man City in FA Cup final It was also the historic venue for the first Women's FA Cup final in 1971, which was won by Southampton Ladies. It also hosted some of the greatest international athletics events in the UK – race in front of 15,000 people at the London Grand Prix just weeks before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. And Steve Ovett, Seb Coe and Steve Cram are among the other track-and-field icons who have raced there. Khan said: 'Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is an historic and much-loved sporting and community facility where many UK sporting stars have started their careers and trained but which needs major investment and refurbishment. 'I'm committed to this once-in-a-generation redevelopment of the site which will secure its future for decades to come. 'With short-term improvements already delivered and Morgan Sindall Construction now appointed to deliver the design and build of the centre. "We look forward to working closely with partners and the local community to create an outstanding sporting venue as we work together to build a better, healthy London for all.'
Extra.ie
13-05-2025
- Extra.ie
Exclusive: Arms Unit 'spent €2,000 on pistol for Garda's child'
The Garda Firearms Stores bought a €2,000 Olympic-standard air pistol for the child of a member of the force, according to bombshell protected disclosures seen by Corroborating protected disclosures from two gardaí to their superiors and the Department of Justice allege that the 'Walther LP500 Olympic standard air pistol was purchased by the [store] despite the organisation having no specific requirement for such an item'. An internal Garda investigation into the matter uncovered possible criminal activity, but no action was taken, the latest disclosures reveal. Pic: KarlM Photography/Shutterstock And, in a bizarre twist, senior gardaí, struggling to explain the irregular purchase, allegedly claimed the gun was bought for 'firearms training' for gardaí 'fearful of firearms'. This is the latest revelation on of gross malpractice around the handling of firearms and gun hardware in the force. We have previously disclosed the chaotic storage and tracking of hundreds of firearms and the illegal sale of guns for profit by members of An Garda Síochána. The allegations about the air pistol were originally made by an officer working at the Garda Firearms Stores in protected disclosure a number of years ago. But the claim has again been made by a far more senior, serving officer in recent weeks, in another protected disclosure. The new whistleblower – who headed up the Garda National Technical Bureau – said in his disclosure: 'The air pistol in question had been specifically purchased by a member of the Garda Firearms Stores Section due to their child having a particular interest in air pistols, and given their child's participation in a hunt and pony club. Pic: File 'While it is understood this allegation is categorically denied by the Garda officer concerned, a realistic explanation as to why an Olympic-standard air pistol was purchased by the Garda organisation at a cost of almost €2,000 is still not forthcoming The claim was first made in 2019, prompting a response that the pistol was used for 'firearms training' for gardaí 'fearful of firearms'. However, the claim by the new whistleblower, a renowned expert in firearms, that no 'realistic explanation' has been offered casts doubt on the efforts to explain the purchase. The disclosure reveals: 'An investigation undertaken by [name of senior officer redacted] into the significant disclosures made by a confidential reporter in 2019 and 2020 have already established a clear link between the Garda officer who then held responsibility for Firearms Stores Section and a hunt and pony club. 'It is understood that the investigation team have identified activities concerning the Garda officer and other supervisory staff, which may be classified as criminal in nature. 'However, it is also understood that the Garda Commissioner has taken no action against the individuals concerned, but rather he chose to pursue those who made confidential disclosures in regard to these matters.' Pic: Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Shutterstock The disclosure added that 'in defending the purchase of the firearm in question, supervisory staff attaching to the Garda Firearms Stores Section have claimed the Olympic-standard air pistol was purchased for the purpose of firearms training, and it was to be utilised by personnel attending the standard or basic firearms training course who were fearful of firearms'. However, the senior serving Garda whistleblower has said: 'No such accommodations have ever been offered to a participant on a firearms training course.' In the disclosure, the garda says: 'Anyone with such a fear of firearms has no place on a firearms training course and they merely pose a risk to themselves and other participants. Firearms instructors would actually encourage members to leave the basic or standard firearm training courses if they are not comfortable carrying and using the firearm they are being trained in. 'In qualifying a person to carry and use an official Garda firearm, firearms instructors have a key role in ensuring the future safety of the participant and all those with whom that participant may later engage with in the performance of their duties, and that, as such, instructors would not want those who fear the firearm to remain on the course.' The emergence of the second whistleblower, who has an unimpeachable record, is a blow to Commissioner Drew Harris, who will leave his post later this year. The emergence of the new whistleblower means many of the initial claims made by the unconnected member of the force in 2019 are now independently corroborated. On Labour TD Alan Kelly called for an inquiry into the revelations made by our newspapers. Last month, revealed documents that said a garda took possession of valuable firearms, earmarked for destruction at the force's HQ, to sell for profit. The documents are part of a number of protected disclosures that also allege automatic firearms, ammunition and explosives were kept in a shipping container at HQ without any proper documentation, tracing or security. The garda called the storage facility an 'arms dump' and said it was secured only by a combination padlock, the code of which was known to numerous individuals. Previously, our sources revealed details of defective firearms holsters that contributed to the June 2020 murder of Detective Colm Horkan. The latest revelation, according to extracts from the disclosure published here, shows a senior officer backing the claims. A Garda spokeswoman said: 'An Garda Síochána does not comment on remarks made by any third parties. An Garda Síochána is precluded by law from commenting on any matters that are the subject of protected disclosures. 'An Garda Síochána cannot comment on ongoing investigations being carried out by An Garda Síochána or Fiosrú (formerly GSOC). 'In general, certain matters raised by you have been attended to and discussed by An Garda Síochána with the relevant oversight bodies.' The Department of Justice was contacted for comment.
Muscat Daily
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Sayyid Shihab inaugurates Olympic Shooting Complex
Muscat – H H Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, inaugurated the National Olympic Shooting Complex in Muscat on Monday. Built to International Shooting Sport Federation standards, the facility is designed to support athletes at all levels, from beginners to professionals, providing a comprehensive environment for training and competition. The complex, spanning multiple purpose-built structures, marks a significant milestone in Oman's sporting journey, enhancing its capacity to host official shooting championships and elevating the country's profile in regional and global sports. The facility includes three Olympic-standard shooting ranges: a 10m range covering 2,700sqm with 80 targets for 80 shooters, a 25m range spanning 2,900sqm with 50 targets for 50 shooters, and a 50m range measuring 2,600sqm, also with 80 targets for 80 shooters. It also features a broadcasting room for digital and visual coverage of events. Additionally, the complex houses a specialised 1,600sqm hall designed to accommodate ten shooters in a controlled indoor environment, ensuring maximum concentration and accuracy. Spectator stands are available across all shooting areas.
