£10m is being pumped into sports facilities in Sheffield as part of an initiative to create a National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine.

The project brings together the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, the English Institute of Sport, as well as a number of other partners including the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield City Council and Chamber of Commerce.

As part of this, Sheffield Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre is set to undergo a £5m upgrade, including extra tennis courts, a new swimming pool, a bigger fitness centre and new gymnastics and football areas.

A further £5m of government funding will be spent on three ‘hub’ sports centres around Sheffield. The locations have not yet been revealed.

Sir Andrew Cash, chief executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, says: “This builds on Sheffield’s reputation for world class sport, medical and academic facilities and programmes.”

Steve Brailey, chief executive of Sheffield International Venues, which operates Graves, says the city will be at the leading edge of the national effort to tackle hugely important issues, such as obesity and physical inactivity.