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North of Scotland ‘crying out for indoor tennis courts’, says Judy Murray

Judy Murray has joined calls for more tennis facilities to be opened in the north of Scotland.

The tennis coach, who helped son Sir Andy Murray rise to sporting stardom, has joined forces with the Moray Sports Foundation, which is building the area’s first sports centre.

Along with the £8.4 million Moray Sports Centre in Elgin, a separate £670,000 application has been made for four indoor tennis courts.

Since Tennis Scotland announced a funding package of £15 million in 2016 from sportscotland and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the foundation says no new courts have been delivered.

Ms Murray said: “Moray and the north of Scotland have been crying out for indoor tennis courts for a long time now and this project is a fabulous opportunity to create year-round play and a winter base for local players and clubs.

“The profile and interest in tennis in Scotland has sky-rocketed over the past 12 years but it’s very tough to take advantage of that if you don’t have public indoor facilities and a strong and vibrant workforce. The two go hand in hand.”

Moray Sports Centre
(From left) Richard Lochhead MSP, Jane Innes, Moray Sports Foundation convener Sandy Adam and Carl Gavine, operations manager at the Moray Sports Centre (Big Partnership/PA)

A funder is already in place to donate the remaining £338,380 required, with planning permission already in place..

Sandy Adam, Moray Sports Foundation convener, said: “Moray lacks sports facilities and it is the only community in Scotland not to have access to a dedicated sports hall.

“This is not acceptable for an area that is home to nearly 100,000 people. We need to end inequality in sports provision in Moray.

“The indoor tennis complex we have proposed at Moray Sports Centre has a professional team in place and the tools to deliver a world class facility.

“It can be a transformational project for the area, where tennis is very popular, but year-round play is not possible with no indoor courts.

“The Murray brothers have reached the highest level possible and these indoor courts need to be part of their legacy.”

Andy Murray
The Wimbledon champion with Judy on Instagram after a press conference in Melbourne (Andy Murray/PA)

Local MSP Richard Lochhead, who visited the centre on Monday, said: “The centre is going to be hugely impressive and will be a huge boost to the area.

“The plans for the sports centre are incredibly ambitious and I’ve written to sportscotland outlining my support for the project and for their funding application for indoor tennis courts, something which is sorely needed in Moray.

“And given the outpouring of affection and admiration for Andy Murray the timing has never been more appropriate for building a lasting legacy and new state of the art tennis facilities in Moray should be part of that.”