Football continues to play into the tight ACT Senate race.
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This time it is the round ball, with ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja pledging a re-elected Morrison government will deliver $4.5 million towards Capital Football's Home of Football project.
Canberra's peak football body Capital Football has welcomed the commitment and said it strengthens the case for the APL to now give Canberra an A-League Men's license.
The $33.5 million Home of Football is a community and professional football project slated to be established in Throsby in Canberra's north. Mainly funded by the ACT government, it is expected to deliver state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor football facilities and provide a home for Canberra United and women's football.
It is also hoped to be delivered by June 2023, in time for the Australia/New Zealand FIFA Women's World Cup. While no World Cup game would be played in Canberra, it's hoped Throsby could be a potential training base.
It is understood that $10 million is needed to fully fund the Home of Football, but Senator Seselja's pledge of $4.5 million will cover stage one of the project.
"Next year Australia will host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which will provide a platform that inspires girls to give football a go, and Canberra's new Home of Football will mean the Canberra community has the facilities to help young athletes thrive," Senator Seselja said in a statement.
"This critical funding will support the delivery of additional football fields in Gungahlin, and much needed indoor sports courts for Futsal and basketball."
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Construction of the dedicated competition and training facility is expected to be under way by next year.
While more money would be needed for ongoing costs, Capital Football has welcomed the Coalition commitment to fund the project's stage one.
"The commitment Senator Seselja has negotiated from the Coalition will allow stage one of the Home of Football Project to progress in 2023, the Women's Football World Cup year," Chris Gardiner, CEO of Capital Football said in a statement.
"It goes a long way to matching the Commonwealth's contributions to similar projects in other states, so there's appropriate support for the ACT in football infrastructure."
The Home of Football could be the key to an A-League Men's team in the capital.
"It strengthens the case for the APL to now give Canberra an A-League Men's license, with the Throsby project designed to enable expansion through additional investment from any new license holder for new club training and corporate facilities," Mr Gardiner said.
"The commitment Senator Seselja has won really gives this very significant project momentum for commencement in the second half of 2022."