Game for a match

A FAVOURITE HOLIDAY destination with both locals and overseas visitors, as well as the perfect escape for anyone wanting a change of pace over the weekend, Hua Hin is now setting itself up to become a sports hub in the wider Asean region with the recent opening of True Arena Hua Hin.

The sports complex, which is home to world-class tennis courts, an advanced fitness centre and multi-sports air-conditioned gymnasium, has been developed by Proud Real Estate, the brains behind the jungle-themed Vana Nava Waterpark and five-star InterContinental Hua Hin Resort. The developer spent Bt600 million turning the 40-rai plot into a multifunction sports complex and roped in Architect A49 for the landscaping and modern interior decor.

“My father has been involved in Thailand’s tennis scene for several years. He chairs the organising committee of the World Tennis Thailand Championship, which enjoys great success and draws thousands of tennis fans to Hua Hin every winter,” the company’s executive director Proudputh Liptapanlop tells The Sunday Nation. 

“We have experience in the area of sports through the multipurpose Hua Hin Centennial Club, where the tennis competition is currently held. We wanted to build a new integrated sports centre with international-standard facilities to support the 40 professional tennis tournaments we’re planning to host over the next year.

“We’ve also invested in many recreational projects in Hua Hin over the last decade, among them the five-star InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, Vana Nava Waterpark and the Blueport Hua Hin Resort Mall, which will open soon. Our aim is to promote Hua Hin as the world’s top tourist destination and sports hub,” she continues. 

“The True Arena offers many sports activities during the day and we are already drawing tourists from South Korea, Japan and China as well as professional athletes from around the world.”

A mere kilometre from beach, True Arena seems destined to become the country’s leading sports complex, providing all kinds of recreational facilities to fit the modern lifestyle. 

Inspired by the Australian Open’s Rod Laver Arena, it boasts 10 standard hard courts for tennis, which are coated with a multi-layered plexicushion surface to ensure uniform bounce, absorb body shock, reduce muscle fatigue and take account of speed-of-play specifications. 

The Centre Court is equipped with Musco lighting of up to 1,800 Lux to ensure highly visible games for HD broadcasting. When not in use for tennis, it serves as a functional stadium for concerts and other large-scale entertainment with a capacity of 5,000 spectators.

Former Thai No1 Tamarine Tanasugarn is involved too, working with youngsters at the tennis clinic in the hope of encouraging future top players. 

The arena has also entered into an agreement with leading tennis management company Peter Burwash International to develop a variety of tennis classes.

“The Centre Court is the first sunken court in Thailand. It has seating that allows everyone a good view of what is going on and a clear view of both players and scoreboard,” Proudputh says. 

True Arena is also home to two FIFA-sized soccer pitches, which are covered with salt-tolerant warm-season paspalum grass and boast a hi-tech drainage system.

“This is Hua Hin’s first full-size football field and already Thai Premier League teams Port FC and Nakhon Ratchasima FC are training here. We aim to become a training camp for national team athletes from Thailand, England and other countries in the future,” Proudputh says. 

The four-storey Clubhouse has an all-day dining international restaurant, sports bar and pro shop selling sportswear and related gear.

Occupying 1,500 square meters on the upper floor, the modern fitness centre is well equipped with state-of-the-art gym machines from True Life Fitness, which users can easily connect to their iPhones and iPods.

There are special studios for yoga, taekwondo, zumba, body combat and core & abs training and national team athletes are already cycling side by side with local gym rats in the spinning class. 

You can cool off after a workout at the 25-metre rooftop swimming pool or enjoy a drink at the pool bar. And with 1,000 sqm of space, the complex’s multifunctional Centennial Hall, easily convertible for basketball, volleyball, futsal and badminton games, is also open for hire as a venue for weddings and other major bashes.

  

POISED TO WIN

True Arena Hua Hin is located at 52/52 Petchkasem Road, Nong Gae, Hua Hin. The membership packages range from Bt5,000 to Bt66,000.  

Find out more by calling |(032) 909 633 or visit www. TrueArenaHuaHin.com.