Construction is underway of the multi-million pound English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield. The £28m facility will be the regional base for Yorkshire for the EIS, a network of high performance facilities, sports science, sports medicine and conditioning centres for athletes living and training in the region.

The multi-sports development will include a National Indoor Athletics Centre with a six lane indoor track, a table tennis centre, a netball centre and sports science and medicine facilities.

Sport England donated £23.3m towards the project and its subsidiary, Phoenix Sports, will develop and own the site and facilities when it opens in spring 2003.

'It has taken a long time to develop this project in Sheffield,' said chair of Phoenix Sports, Brigid Simmonds. 'We are very grateful to Sheffield for their patience and for the support of the universities and the region to create a regional facility where our athletes can train and develop their skills.'