Aberdeen Sports Village, a joint venture between Aberdeen City Council, the University of Aberdeen and sportscotland, will stage an Open Day from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, 22 August.

The complex, on the site of the former Chris Anderson Stadium, will raise the bar when it comes to sports provision in the north-east with a first-class standard of facilities - all housed under one roof.

Aberdeen Sports Village boasts a full size indoor football pitch, indoor running straight with throwing and jumping areas, large sports hall, four squash courts, large fitness suite and performance gym, exercise studios, sports science facilities and dining and meeting areas.

The 3rd-generation, FIFA-approved pitch is one of the first of its kind in the UK and provides the perfect venue not only for football training but for all multi-sprint sports.

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It is made, in part, from recycled car tyres and is surrounded by viewing portals, carefully arranged to reflect the formations of World Cup winning teams and their colours.

The large and airy Sports Hall is the size of nine badminton courts, with the highest quality sprung timber flooring, complete with floor markings for badminton, netball, basketball, volleyball and indoor hockey, while integral netting systems allow for multiple cricket and archery bays as well as seating for up to 350 spectators.

Standards at the Sports Village put it in a prime position to accommodate elite athletes and it has already been selected as a training venue for the 2012 Olympic Games to be held in London.

It has been carefully designed for use by all, be it university students, community groups, or those with disabilities.

The University of Aberdeen's Principal and Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Duncan Rice, said: "The international standard of facilities housed within the Aberdeen Sports Village reflects the University of Aberdeen's ambition to become an institution which can compete with the best universities in the world.

"The facilities will be of great benefit to all students with an interest in sport and health and will help to promote the development of elite athletes, whom we will now be able to attract from all over the world."

On Saturday (August 22) two Kenyan athletes will reopen the running track in an attempt to run a mile in under four minutes. They are aiming to beat the current track record of 3min 58.5seconds, set nine years ago.

(GK/KMcA)