Central Districts Cricket, Giants Boxing will get a $100,000 boost courtesy of a New Zealand Community Trust grant that was announced today. The grant will be used to part fund a $1.35m Community Cricket and Sports Centre that is to be built at Mitre 10 Park. Plans for the Centre were announced on 9 October.

“The NZCT grant means we are half-way to our target,” says Park CEO Jock Mackintosh. “CD Cricket and Giants Boxing both do great work at a community level and the NZCT grant is an important step to achieving our funding goal”, he says.

NZCT’s Communications Manager, Tanya Piejus, said “At NZCT, we’re passionate about helping people pursue their sporting goals, particularly young Kiwis. We’re really looking forward to seeing this new facility completed that will allow kids and adults alike to take part in and enjoy cricket and boxing in a safe, modern environment.”

The new building will accommodate four indoor cricket bowling lanes. CD Cricket, school and club cricketers will be the main users. “It’s going to be a great base for CD but it will actually have far greater community use,” says CD CEO Pete de Wet. “Our future talent comes from the school kids of today and this an opportunity for them to train in fantastic facilities alongside their heroes,” he says.

Approximately half of the building will be the new home of Giants Boxing. “Boxing is a great vehicle to teach kids values that are important in life. The NZCT grant is a significant step in enabling us to expand what we do,” says Giants Boxing mentor, coach and former NZ representative, Craig McDougall.

McDougall and his Giants proteges recently hosted former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. Parker was here to support the work of the Giants Boxing academy.

Work on the new building is expected to commence early in 2021.

Please view the following link for artist’s impressions.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wxjmlh1yejvwgh2/AAB5ddnelFvaRV7BIdUcvfvsa?dl=0

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