Squash Australia will call the Gold Coast home, with a world-class facility set up off the back of a successful Commonwealth Games.
The courts where Australia won two gold medals and one bronze have been relocated to form the new National Squash Centre at Carrara.
The Commonwealth Games legacy project will see a new home for Squash Australia’s High Performance programs, major events and for grassroot squash on the Gold Coast.
Squash Australia CEO Richard Vaughan says the centre marks an important step for the growing sport.
“The National Squash Centre at Carrara is an amazing legacy outcome for the Gold Coast and Queensland.
“The Gold Coast will now be home to the Squash Australia High Performance program, host national events and over the next five years host multiple world championship events with the first being the World Coaches Conference this weekend at the Carrara complex, followed by the World Doubles Championships in June 2019 and the World Junior Championships in July 2020.
“I would like to thank all involved for their continued help and support in making the national centre vision a reality,” Vaughan said.
Carrara Squash Centre courts in action at the Australian Club Championships (photo by Toni van der Kreek)
Squash Australia President David Mandel says it comes at an important time for the sport.
“The centre opens at a time when Australians are falling in love with the sport once again, with now 185,000 players active, according to data supplied by Sport Australia (a 75% increase over the past three years),” Mandel said.
Queensland Minister for the Commonwealth Games Kate Jones says the courts were among more than 20,000 assets gifted back to the community under the Sports Assets Legacy Program.
“Our future squash stars now have the opportunity to play on the same courts which proved successful for Australia’s men’s doubles and mixed doubles teams, with both claiming gold at the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says this is a shining example of legacy in action, welcoming Squash Australia to the city.
“The Games were an opportunity to not only promote our city to more than 1.5 billion television viewers around the world but to also deliver significant legacy outcomes for the coast,” he said.
Media gathered for the opening of Carrara Squash Centre (photo by Toni van der Kreek)