Bradford's boxing world champion Junior Witter went back to his former school with Pakistani hockey captain Ali Ghanazafar to launch new state-of-the-art sports facilities.

The stars were given a tour of the £950,000 sports centre at Carlton Bolling College in Undercliffe yesterday, which has a floodlit synthetic pitch, new changing block and cricket practice nets.

At the launch there was an afternoon hockey festival and an evening of football, tag rugby and kwik cricket for pupils from neighbouring schools.

Bradford Council's Education Client Team worked with Carlton Bolling College to secure £593,862 from the Big Lottery Fund and £75,000 Social Regenera-tion Budget cash from Regen 2000. A further £50,000 came from the school, the rest from the Education Client Team.

Junior said: "Sport is important because it leads to a healthy nation and makes people better equipped to deal with the common cold!

"I am happy and delighted for the school and people of the area. Being healthy is important to your mental health and your physical health. If everybody is mentally healthy, they can get on and prosper and put Bradford back on the map."

Nigel Jepson, Carlton Bolling College's executive headteacher, said: "I'm sure everyone in the school and the community will all benefit greatly from these facilities.

"It's just reward for the enormous improvements in student achievement that have taken place recently"

Coun Anne Hawkesworth, executive member for the environment and culture, said: "This work is the result of a consultation with residents who showed there was high demand for better sports facilities, especially a year-round cricket pitch which will also be used by Undercliffe Cricket Club."

Steve Warner, head of sport and leisure service, said: "It's very important that we continue to invest in sports facilities and equally important that they are available to the wider community."

e-mail: ali.davies@bradford.newsquest.co.uk