No sticky wickets at La Manga

#LAMANGA CLUB has teamed up with #Cricket Ireland and Cricket Scotland for a long-term partnership to create a European Cricket Performance Centre at the Spanish resort – the first of its kind in Europe.

The sports and leisure resort has signed a ten-year deal with the two national organizations to develop an exclusive warm-weather overseas training base in Murcia, south-east #Spain.

Designed to help prepare men's and women's teams for international cricket as well as assisting with the development of players and coaches, the first phase of the jointly-funded project will next year.

In a joint statement, Cricket Ireland and Cricket Scotland said: ‘This is the culmination of a long-term project to develop state-of-the-art training facilities in continental Europe. Rather than having to travel to the UAE or further afield to escape our long winters, our players at all levels now have the chance to train in a cost-effective way on world-class grass and artificial surfaces in a warm-weather southern European setting on a year-round basis.

Cricket Ireland and Cricket Scotland will have exclusive booking options for using the centre as a warm-weather training and playing base for its men's and women's national and provincial senior and youth teams.

Facilities will include six updated first-class grass pitches and two artificial wickets on two existing grounds, plus 18 grass and five artificial net lanes – all with 25-yard run-ups. Fielding, catching, and wicket-keeping areas are also being created.

Chad Harpur, director of sports at La Manga Club, said: ‘This agreement will open up a new market for La Manga Club. The cricket facility will be the best in Europe and is something we are very proud to be part of.’

In 1,400 acres, La Manga Club has a high performance sports centre, a high-altitude training facility, three 18-hole golf courses, 28 tennis courts, and a spa and fitness centre, plus a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments, and more than 20 bars and restaurants.

www.lamangaclub.com
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Tourism Ireland targets India

TOURISM IRELAND’S CEO has made his first visit to #India, as the tourism board ramps up its promotions effort in the country.

Niall Gibbons travelled to India to meet the country’s travel trade, and to announce Tourism Ireland’s sponsorship of the Irish cricket teams for the upcoming ICC T20 #Cricket World Cup, which starts in India on March 8.

‘Sport-related tourism has emerged as a very significant element in world tourism in recent years,’ said Mr Gibbons. ‘Our sponsorship of the team in this year’s ICC T20 Cricket World Cup offers us a superb opportunity to highlight the island of #Ireland. It’s wonderful for us to be involved in a sport that has such a wide appeal in India and we look forward to connecting and communicating with a wide audience of cricket fans.’

Mr Gibbons noted that Ireland has seen a 25% increase in visitor arrivals from India ‘over the last few years’, and said he expects this trend to continue. This growth has been fuelled by the recently-launched British-Irish visa scheme which makes it easier for tourists to visit both Ireland and the UK in a single trip.

In 2016, Tourism Ireland will be engaging with the Indian travel trade and media through familiarization trips, workshops, and seminars.

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What’s England’s greatest sporting destination?

#VISITENGLAND has launched a search to find the country’s most popular sports destination. It’s asking sports fans to send in their nominations.

By submitting a picture of their “home of sport” – be it the Oval or a village cricket pitch – fans will help to locate the jewel in England’s sporting crown.

VisitEngland’s Chief Executive, James Berresford, explains: ‘As the birthplace of rugby, football, cricket, punting, and the modern Olympic Games, as the home of iconic venues such as Old Trafford, Wimbledon and Aintree, and the host to world-class sporting events, England’s sporting heritage is something that truly sets us apart from other destinations.’

To help find England’s sporting capital, upload a picture of your own home of sport to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #HomeOfSport with a 140-character saying why you think it’s the best sporting destination in England. Approved nominations will be posted at www.englandhomeofsport.com and the senders will be entered into a prize draw to win a selection of sporting experiences.

Entries close on August 31, after which an expert panel will work through the nominations to establish a shortlist of sporting hubs. The shortlist will be open to public vote on September 16, with the destination that receives the highest number of votes announced in October as England’s Home of Sport.

Criteria for the winning destination will include breadth of sporting experiences, diverse and beautiful backdrops, and claims to fame.

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