The stadium has fallen into disrepair in recent years but London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has thrown his support behind rejuvenation plans that would bring the historic site back into use
Former sprint star Adam Gemili hopes the planned renovation of the Crystal Palace sports centre can be a catalyst for the return of more athletics events in the UK.
Gemili, 32, made his Diamond League debut on the south London track as a junior before going on to an impressive senior career that ended in world and European gold.
The stadium has fallen into disrepair in recent years but London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has thrown his support behind rejuvenation plans that would bring the historic site back into use.
And with London’s Olympic Stadium now the only current Diamond League host in the UK, Gemili hopes the refurbishment plans can kickstart more British events returning to the athletics calendar.
“It is a real shame Crystal Palace doesn’t have a Diamond League anymore,” said Gemili. “It will be nice to give that stadium a bit of love because it’s super quick and we’ve seen some brilliant times on it.
“When I first came on, there was Crystal Palace, Gateshead, Birmingham, London. Now we’re lucky if we get a London Diamond League. There needs to be a lot more athletics meets. The hunger is there, people want to see it. They just have to facilitate it.
“My first Diamond League was Crystal Palace as a junior. We ran the relay and came dead last in lane one but we were just happy to be there. I had never seen a crowd of that many people. Asafa Powell won the 100m, it’s one of my best memories.”
Gemili is keen that sites such as Crystal Palace remain accessible for everyone across the capital, with hire fees and other costs often blocking the way.
“There is much talent. We have got all these brilliant facilities that need a bit of love,” he said. “People need access to those facilities, they need to be made available for people to use. Sport is such a big part of culture in this country. We have such a talented youth system and that needs to be looked after and grown.”
Gemili was speaking from Larkhall Park in Stockwell, where he saw firsthand the positive impact of opening up access. The 32-year-old watched a football session put on by Sports Fun 4 All, a charity based in south London that has been nominated for a London Sport Award.
The charity puts on 21 sessions a week, 16 of which are free, and Gemili was full of praise for the work pioneered by CEO and founder Kieran Connolly.
“It was more than I expected,” added Gemili. “Seeing the way it was run, how diligent they are, everyone was very respectful. They’ve got a really good thing here and I really hope they can keep their funding and grow and get bigger. What they do for the community is brilliant.
“It’s not about how good they are as footballers, it’s about bringing a lot of different people together as part of the local community, to play some football and learn. It’s good vibes. It was brilliant chatting to Kieran, learning about how he started and how he wants to move forward.”
London Sport is a charity that helps all Londoners live longer, healthier and happier lives through being active. The London Sport Awards, supported by the City of London Corporation, shines a spotlight on the capital’s unsung heroes who are helping Londoners lead more physically active lives. Find out more at www.londonsport.org