Sir Graeme Avery has been recognised for his help in funding the newly-built sport complex in Hawke's Bay.
Yesterday, the philanthropist was celebrated at a new $80 million regional sporting complex in Hastings, one that he hopes will develop our Olympians of the future as sporting organisations move away from centralised systems.
Sir Graeme's contribution towards sport, health and wellbeing in Hawke's Bay has been recognised with a hostel named in his honour at the Hastings regional sports park.
The newly completed 72-bed hostel will be officially known as the Sir Graeme S. Avery House.
“I was very reluctant to accept that recognition because I get recognition out of it by seeing people use it like CD cricket here at the moment and in the future the athletes that’ll perform and the elderly and younger kids that’ll use it and their health is improving,” Avery said.
The multi-million dollar complex has an Olympic sized swimming pool, track and field facilities and a high-performance centre.
A facility similar to Auckland’s high performance sport home AUT Millennium which was also the brainchild of Avery.
Recent sporting reviews highlighting issues with national centralised programmes.
Eighty-one-year-old Avery believes regional hubs are the future.
“The majority of our future stars on the international stage will have started their sports performance career in the rural regions.
“We’re going to see that decentralisation in terms of the promising youth moving into the national system, I am absolutely sure of that,” Avery said.
Former Olympic rower and New Zealand Olympic committee outgoing president Mike Stanley wants more regions with similar facilities.
"I think what Sir Graeme has done here as set the standard of what should be seen across all regions, If we had a network of these sorts of facilities around the country that would really make a difference to sport and communities," Stanley said.
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