The Sport Wales National Centre ( cy, Canolfan Genedlaethol Chwaraeon Cymru) is a sports facility in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, set up to assist the development of elite athletes in Wales. The Centre, owned and operated by Sport Wales, was established by the then Sports Council for Wales in 1971 as the National Sports Centre for Wales. Renamed the Welsh Institute of Sport in 1994, it has been known as the Sport Wales National Centre since April 2010. The Centre is located in

Sophia Gardens Sophia Gardens ( cy, Gerddi Sophia) is a public park in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, on the west bank of the River Taff. International test cricket matches and county cricket matches are held in the Sophia Gardens cricket ground, the home of ...

, Cardiff and opened on 30 October 1971, with the official opening by Her Royal Highness the

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

on 12 June 1972. The main building housing the indoor sports halls is by F. D. Williamson & Associates and is described in '' The Buildings of Wales'' as "An impressive piece of minimalism". Several

governing bodies of sports in Wales The governing bodies of sports in Wales perform an organisational, regulatory or sanctioning function at a national level in Wales, some tracing their history to the 19th Century. Many cooperate with similar bodies from other countries to agree ru ...

are based at the Centre. It hosts the Welsh International Badminton Championship every year in December. Welsh national teams that train at the Centre include badminton,

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

, gymnastics, field hockey,

shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles ...

and judo.

Main Arena

*Gymnastics *Table Tennis *Trampoline *Presentation *Martial Arts *Badminton *Indoor football *Netball *Basketball

Governing bodies at the Centre

Basketball Wales Basketball Wales ( cy, Pêl-fasged Cymru) (founded in 1952 as the Basketball Association of Wales) is the sole controller and the Governing bodies of sports in Wales, national governing body of all aspects of the game of basketball in Wales. It is ...

is the sole controller and the governing body of all aspects of the game of

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

in Wales. It is responsible for the management of the Welsh National Basketball League, the national teams and for the organisation of all national and international basketball competitions held in Wales. The Federation of Disability Sport Wales is the national pan-disability governing body of sports organisations that provide local sporting and physical activity opportunities to disabled people in Wales. Hockey Wales is the national governing body for

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

in Wales. Previously known as the Welsh Hockey Union it rebranded as Hockey Wales though the organisation still retains the former name as a business. The Welsh Hockey Union was established in 1996 by the merger of the Welsh Hockey Association (founded 1896) and the Welsh Women's Hockey Association (founded 1897). Hockey Wales is responsible for the administration of all aspects of the game including clubs, competitions, development, internationals, schools, umpiring and universities. Sport Wales is responsible for developing and promoting sport and active lifestyles in Wales. It was established in 1972 with the objectives of "fostering the knowledge and practice of sport and physical recreation among the public at large in Wales and the provision of facilities thereto". Sport Wales is the

Welsh Assembly Government Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

's main adviser on sporting matters and is responsible for distributing National Lottery awards to national governing bodies of sports in Wales. The

Welsh Judo Association The Welsh Judo Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Judo Cymru) (WJA) is the governing body for the sport of judo in Wales. The WJA has 80 affiliated clubs and over 2,400 members. It is responsible for managing the Welsh Performance Squads the National ...

(WJA) is the governing body for

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

in Wales. The WJA has 80 affiliated clubs and over 2,400 members. It is responsible for managing the Welsh High Class Performance Squads, from which the National Coach—double judo Olympic silver medallist Neil Adams—selects the Welsh national team to compete at international events. A purpose built dojo is under construction at the Institute to house the WJA, allowing full-time tutorage of promising athletes. The

Welsh Sports Association The Welsh Sports Association ( cy, Gwasanaeth Chwaraeon Cymru) (WSA) (established 1972) is an independent, umbrella body, supporting and representing the national and international interests of all the national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport an ...

(WSA) (established 1972) is an independent, umbrella body, supporting and representing the national and international interests of all the national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport and physical recreation in Wales. It has a membership of over 60 NGBs. The WSA acts as an independent consultative body to the

, Sport Wales and to UK Sport. The Welsh Sports Association is based at the Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. The Welsh Target Shooting Federation represents the interests of airgun, rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting in Wales from offices in the National Centre. It also operates a 50metre outdoor and 10metre indoor range at the Centre for its high performance rifle and airgun teams. These ranges have also been used as training bases by GB Academy and Talent Squads.

Notes

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport Wales National Centre Sports medicine in the United Kingdom Sports venues in Cardiff Sports venues in Wales Sports venues completed in 1971 1971 establishments in Wales

Sport in Wales Sports academies Netball venues Celtic Dragons

Main Arena

Governing bodies at the Centre

See also

Notes

External links