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1 year ago
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Plans have been unveiled for a new £20m basketball arena in Scotland.
Caledonia Gladiators' state-of-the-art 6,000-seater stadium and five-court complex will also feature a training academy, a dedicated accommodation area, gym facilities and physio suites.
Talks are also under way that could see the venue used for music concerts and conferences.
Work is expected to begin at the Playsport Scotland leisure complex in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, next year and is due to be complete by 2026.
Steve Timoney, founder of stock market listed group Smart Metering Systems, is behind what has been called the largest single investment in Scottish basketball history.
Mr Timoney, who owns the British Basketball League (BBL) and Women's BBL club along with his wife Alison, said: "This is a hugely exciting moment for the future of the Caledonia Gladiators.
"Our new base at Playsport will go on to become one of the finest basketball facilities in Europe once it is completed in 2026.
"It includes plans for a class-leading academy, which will train youngsters from Scotland and across the world with the aim of developing them into elite players."
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The men's team, which has reached the BBL Trophy final against Cheshire on 26 March, currently play at Glasgow's Emirates Arena. The women's team play at Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
They are the only team in the top tier of British basketball currently based in Scotland, and it is expected the arena will host other teams in the league, which currently includes sides from London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield, among other cities.
Later this summer, the Gladiators will move into an 1,800-seater temporary stadium at the East Kilbride site ahead of the completion of the new venue.
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It is hoped that the new arena will ultimately become the home of Team GB.
Mr Timoney added: "We believe our new facility has the potential to help Caledonia Gladiators become one of the most successful men and women's teams in the BBL and WBBL, with ambitions to play at the top level in Europe.
"It's a great time for the club, with our BBL Trophy final match round the corner, and we're all hugely looking forward to that match."
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