Plans have been revealed for the construction of Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex in Johannesburg, South Africa. The complex will reportedly be developed by Wits University, at a cost of R250 million.
According to IOL, the sports complex will include cutting-edge training, research, and clinical practice facilities for sports science. Zylstra Aquatics and Rowing Centre, Zylstra Sport, and Health Building, and a Zylstra Residence that will accommodate 44 elite athletes make up the Wits Centenary Project.
The Zylstra family and the Skye Foundation have made a huge legacy contribution of R250 million to support the construction of the sports complex. The complex is named after Brian and Dorothy Zylstra. It is said that the name is seen as an appropriate tribute to the pair, who were both Wits alumni. The Zylstra family’s donation is one of the greatest family contributions given to Wits.
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The Zylstra Sport and Health Building will be home to Wits Sport and Health (WiSH) in the future. Students will have access to top-notch sports facilities through the facility.
Who will operate the Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex?
The sports complex will be run by the School of Therapeutic Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Additionally, it will act as the hub for university and national athletic events.
The Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex will help in the development of cross-disciplinary training and research areas in many aspects of the sport, sports physiology, sports injuries, and exercise. It will also aid in movement during rehabilitation, in addition to offering students exceptional sporting facilities.
Wits, schools, and sporting organizations from South Africa and also overseas will all have access to the sports complex as a resource.
The sports complex will be a landmark structure and a resource for Wits, schools, as well as sporting organizations from South Africa and abroad, according to Phil Zylstra, a spokesperson for the Zylstra family.
The sports complex is going to usher in a thrilling future for the coming 100 years of Wits Sport and Health. It will serve the greater Wits community with high-performance training, dynamic teaching, research, as well as clinical practice. This is according to Wits Sport and Health (WiSH) Director Jon Patricios, Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine at Wits.
Additionally, the institution would be able to host inter-university, inter-school, and national competitions. It will also bring together athletes from all over the country, encouraging sportsmanship and healthy competition.
By 2025, the Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex should be completed. It will give students, researchers, and athletes access to top-notch sports facilities.
