WHATEVER happens next to the Bolton Arena it would be a great shame if the town -- and the region -- was unable to capitalise on the Commonwealth Games writes Angela Kelly

The badminton competition held there has undoubtedly been successful. Many people have been very complimentary about the facilities, including sportsmen and women and thousands of visitors from this country and around the world.

The Games have put Bolton into the sporting spotlight, and it is important to keep it there.

It is obvious that tennis alone is unlikely to keep the Arena solvent, so more sports must be considered.

Personally, I hope that badminton will figure in these plans. This is not just because I am a fan and a player, but also because that sport will be inexorably linked with the Arena thanks to the Games and the huge audiences it attracted at the venue and via TV.

Bolton is a sporty town. It has excellent and well-supported leagues -- certainly well-supported compared to many other neighbouring towns -- and a solid sporting infrastructure bound into the town's history.

Here, we love amateur football, cricket, rounders, table tennis, badminton, netball etc etc. Look in this newspaper's sports pages any day and there are stories and results -- each set of figures hiding a busy club or team which is part of a much bigger successful picture. Unfortunately, there is a question mark against the financial viability of some of our local sports centres. It would be a terrible shame if we lost any of them because they underpin the life of the community in a way no other facility does. What, for example, will our youngsters do if they cannot attend sessions of their favourite sport? I shudder to think of all that energy looking for an outlet.

If there is any future "rationalisation" of sports centres, then a large venue like the Arena becomes even more important.

We are proud of our sporting roots that have blossomed into the many local leagues and competitions. Rather than cut them off, we need to nurture them by giving them room to grow, in a place like the Arena.

Then, everyone in our town who wants to will have the chance to enjoy sport, thrive and, perhaps, even develop into more local champions -- just in time for the next Commonwealth Games.