The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Tennis Scotland has welcomed the opening of a new indoor tennis centre in Edinburgh.
The Oriam Indoor Tennis Centre (ITC) welcomes its first players onto six new courts at Heriot-Watt University on Friday morning.
Costing £4.5 million, the 4000sq/m structure has taken around 18 months to construct and has been funded in partnership between Oriam, Heriot-Watt University, the LTA, LTA Tennis Foundation, sportscotland and Tennis Scotland through the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis (TSIT) fund.
Work on-site began in September 2022 and it has been built using the latest materials to ensure the courts boast some of the finest acrylic playing surfaces found anywhere in the country, ideal for both recreational and competitive matches.
Scott Lloyd, Chief Executive of the LTA, said: “We are delighted that this impressive indoor tennis facility at Oriam is now opening. The LTA is committed to continuing to working closely with our partners in Scotland to increase the number of indoor courts across the country in the years to come. With Oriam completed and with Moray Sports Centre in Elgin under construction too, this is a great example of our vision to open up tennis to many more people year-round.’’
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Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: “It is fantastic to see the plan for indoor tennis at Oriam being realised today with the official opening of this magnificent centre.
“The TSIT fund was established to transform indoor tennis in Scotland and provide more access to the sport. This new centre does exactly that and will not only be a real asset to the sport, but also to Heriot Watt students and the local community.
“This was a great opportunity to build on the excellent facilities already on offer at Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, and it’s delivery is testament to the commitment and ambition of our partners.”
Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland, said: “We know there is a huge appetite for tennis in Scotland, with record club membership and increasing levels of participation, so we welcome the opening of the new six-court indoor centre at Oriam.
“It is vitally important that we continue to build capacity, allowing us to deliver top-class coaching and competitions, develop our workforce and bring new people into our sport.
“The impressive facilities at Oriam will help us open tennis up to continue the growth of the game in Scotland, as will the new indoor centre being constructed in Moray.”
Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said: “The arrival of Oriam ITC is a significant milestone for this University. These six magnificent courts provide a remarkable opportunity for players of all abilities to embrace their passion for tennis and drive forward interest and participation in the sport.
Another indoor tennis centre, featuring four courts, is currently under construction at Moray Sports Centre in Elgin, with other new facilities in the pipeline.
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