Paparua sports complex opens in five weeks

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 14

Paparua sports complex opens in five weeks

A $150,000 sporting complex and youth centre, built by the Paparua County Council at the back of Sockburn Park, will be officially open in five weeks.

There will be four chant-1 pionship-standard squash! courts and showering facili-l ties, and a 60ft long lounge. I with a view of the courts and! pensioner cottages which are; to be built in the area. The Jounge will have a colour; television set, a kitchen, and two pool tables. The manager of the centre is Mr Peter Steinmetz, a well-known coach of both squash and tennis in Christchurch. Mr Steinmetz, a former player of A grade squash and senior tennis, will give les-{ sons on the courts. He will, be assisted full-time by a, woman, also by a part-time;

staff of three men and three! women. The picture shows Mr I Steinmetz, who has been employed by the council since; March 1, surveying the courts as they near completion. The associate county clerk (Mr B. L. Mooar) said this week that progress on the I building was very good and! the official opening would take place as scheduled over the week-end of May 21-22 1 with the centre opening for; use. on the Monday. During the official opening’ the centre will be available; for public viewing and a number of exhibition matchesfeaturing some of the top { squash players in the city.{ including possibly the New’ Zealand representative, Rod Hayes, are Planned. According to Mr Mooar,; the main purpose of the commercial centre is to provide! recreation for the residents 1 and the ratepayers of the Paparua County, who have had to travel quite a distance to play squash in the past. He hopes that groups like the Good Samaritan Club in Hornby will be attracted to the centre and will use the . spacious lounge as a meeting;; place. Pensioners too will be I welcome.

{ To make the venture a commercial success, houseI wives and schools will be the main target. Mr Mooar said that “if we get the housewives then we’re half-way there.” The venture should also provide a useful outlet for I youth in the area and judging !by the reaction jof Mr Sam Leary, the sportsmaster at Riccarton High School.! {schools in the area should be using the facility frequently. ' “This will be a valuable amenity. It’s not much over quarter of a mile away and we’re quite keen to make full use of the courts.” said Mr {Leary, a former Canterbury! rugby representative, former national javelin champion, land a competent squash player. | Mr Leary said that the (original plan for the centre had only included two courts but his school had pressed for two more — “enough to use a whole class” — and this was eventuallv agreed to. He envisages that both physical education groups and sports groups will play squash at the centre, which has access from a new — as yet un-named — road.