Niagara Park Stadium will play host to some of the most talented young sportspeople from across New South Wales (NSW) this weekend, as they converge on the Coast for the 2016 Hockey NSW Under 15 Indoor State Championships.

The Championships will be held over four days from the 14 October, culminating in the grand final on Monday 17 October. The event will see over 50 teams in action from as far as Grafton, Tamworth and Parkes, with approximately 750 players and officials involved.

With expected spectator numbers estimated to be over 1000, Hockey NSW has projected over $1.5m will be injected into the Central Coast economy, as a result of the Championships.

Council Administrator Ian Reynolds said council has made a significant investment in this popular sporting facility to attract events of this calibre to the Central Coast.

“Niagara Park Stadium won the rights to host this tournament after a $68,000 court surface refurbishment, which has created one of the best playing surfaces in NSW,” said Mr. Reynolds.

“We have also recently upgraded all scoreboards at the facility to a new wireless system, which represents the benchmark in sports scoring technology.

“Council is committed to providing world class sporting facilities within our local community, with the economic, social and tourism benefits being felt across the region.”

In November, the Stadium will again play host to another round of Hockey NSW State Championships – this time for competitors in the Under 13 division. This event will see over 60 teams compete, with over 2000 players and spectators attending the venue.

Hockey NSW estimates the combined value of the two tournaments to be over $3 million.