MS for North Wales speaks about sporting success in Wrexham

MS for North Wales
It's great news that the one of the biggest women's tennis tournaments in the United Kingdom is coming to Wrexham later this year.
The Lexus Wrexham Open will take place in October at Wrexham Tennis and Padel Centre, with players from around the UK and the rest of the world.
It's the first time that the competition is being held in North Wales, and it really is a brilliant opportunity for people in our area to watch some top-class sport and support the Centre.
Tickets start from £7.50 for adults and £3.50 for under-16s, with 800 seats available for each day of the competition.
They're already on sale, so I'd definitely encourage you to snap those tickets up and enjoy some live sport!
I particularly hope that the Wrexham Open will inspire the next generation.
It's important for young people to have access to occasions like this, and it's perfectly situated right on our doorstep.
Even if young people don't go on to hit the sporting heights of Andy Murray or Emma Raducanu, it's important for them to be active.
Not only is it essential for physical health, it has great mental health benefits too.
This applies to adults and older people as well.
The most recent Wales Activity Tracker (a regular survey run by Sport Wales) found that 49% of adults in Wales participate in physical activity 2 to 4 days a week.
I am sure we can improve those numbers, and it's essential to the future of the country that we do so.
I would argue that attracting quality sporting events to Wales can motivate and inspire people to pick up a tennis racket or cricket bat, put on their football boots or running shoes and get moving.
There's no doubt that the Open will boost Wrexham's reputation for professional sport and hosting major events.
The outstanding success of Wrexham AFC is well known around the world, and this tournament will further underline why Wrexham and North Wales more broadly is a great place to host events.
I certainly hope to see more in future, and I regularly call on the Welsh Government to prioritise North Wales as a destination location for these high-quality events.
If you'd like to get in touch, then you can drop me a line at sam.rowlands@senedd.wales

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