A new £9m para-sports facility is to be built at the sportscotland National Sports Centre Inverclyde, it has been announced.

The development, located in North Ayrshire, will be the first centre of its kind in the UK and will allow disabled athletes to train at world-class, fully-integrated, multi-sports facilities. It will also benefit children and young people of all ages to wish to participate in a range of para-sports, the Scottish Government has said.

It is understood the Scottish Government will invest £6m, through sportscotland, that will provide 60 fully adapted residential rooms at the National Centre. An additional investment of £3m will come from the national agency for sport.

The redevelopment is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

Confirming the news, Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, said: "Team Scotland para-athletes won an amazing seven medals, including three golds, at Glasgow 2014, inspiring more disabled people to take up and enjoy sport. This Government is focused on maximising the sporting legacy of the Games and this new funding for fully adapted accommodation will give a new generation of para-athletes the chance to train at world class facilities and emulate their Games heroes.

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"Inverclyde is already one of the best-equipped, modern residential sports centres in the UK, and is integral to the Scottish sport system that is producing Commonwealth and world champions. The redevelopment will help even more para-athletes train in outstanding facilities, with the best technical support, to become world beaters. That is another positive and lasting legacy from the Games for Scottish sport."

Stewart Harris, sportscotland's Chief Executive, added: "This is excellent news both for para-sports in Scotland and for the sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde. Scotland has world-class sporting facilities and this significant commitment, coupled with the National Performance Centre for Sport being built in Edinburgh, further improves Scotland's sporting infrastructure.

"This welcome announcement secures the centre as an inclusive venue encompassing a wide range of sports and physical activities, and will support para-sports and a number of small and medium Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport, as well as events in the area, particularly sailing."

Gavin McLeod, chief executive of Scottish Disability Sport, commented: "Scottish Disability Sport is delighted with the significant investment to support sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde to become a fully inclusive and accessible national facility. SDS is committed to supporting children, young people and adults with a disability to participate and compete in their chosen sport and meet their full potential."

The sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde facilities include an international standard gymnastics training facility, a new indoor 3G pitch, a main sports hall, a multi-purpose sports hall, two squash courts, dance studio and fitness suite. Its outdoor facilities include four full-sized grass football pitches, a synthetic hockey pitch, four synthetic tennis courts, a golf development course and a target range.

(JP/IT)