Turnhout Opens Sportcampus Stadspark, Boosting School and Club Sports

Turnhout's new Sportcampus Stadspark officially opened its doors, marking a significant upgrade for local sports. The facility will primarily benefit the Campos secondary school, which struggled with inadequate facilities in its previous location. The old sports hall was too small, forcing students to travel to neighboring towns for physical education.

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It is a very important project for the city, especially for our school Campos. It used to be known as a trade school and has since become a sports and trade school. But the old sports hall was too small for it, so students had to go to Vosselaar and Oud-Turnhout.

Mayor Hannes Anaf highlighted the project's importance, stating that it allows Campos to grow into a larger sports school. The campus will also accommodate the local primary school and be available for sports clubs after school hours. This expansion is crucial for clubs like KlimT, a climbing association that has grown significantly over the years.

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Now Campos can grow into an even bigger sports school. The municipal primary school in Parkwijk will also be able to use the new sports complex, of course. And naturally, clubs can use it after school hours.

Bert Van Gestel of KlimT explained that the new complex includes a dedicated climbing hall, a significant improvement from the previous setup where a third of the sports hall had to be cordoned off. KlimT, which started with a few members 30 years ago and now has around 200 participants, focuses on making climbing accessible to everyone, referring to themselves as 'enjoyment climbers.'

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We call ourselves 'enjoyment climbers,' it's not top sport here, but sport accessible to everyone.

The Sportcampus Stadspark features nine classrooms, two large sports halls with a 400-seat expandable tribune, a dojo for martial arts, a multipurpose hall, the climbing hall, a mat hall, and changing facilities. The larger sports hall is already attracting new teams, with a futsal club relocating to Turnhout and playing its first match there.

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We started with a few members in the old sports hall about 30 years ago. Meanwhile, about 200 people come climbing now and then. We call ourselves 'enjoyment climbers.' We have also designed the hall for that: not for top sport, but rather for accessible sport for everyone.