Laurence Dollimore
A RAFT of international sporting stars are lining up to back an exciting €750 million sports and residential project on the Costa del Sol.
Maria Sharapova, Rio Ferdinand and Ian Woosnam are all said to be involved in the huge British-funded project to revolutionise Mijas’ long-neglected hippodrome racecourse site.
The trio are just some of the big names understood to be backing the Mirage development, which includes a golf course, a multi-sports venue, a trio of hotels and over 1,000 luxury apartments, the Olive Press can exclusively reveal.
“This will be massive for Mijas and will be the largest sports tourism and multi-sports events venue in Europe,” the businessman behind the project, Anthony Arnold, from the West Midlands, told the Olive Press this week.
Russian tennis ace Sharapova has been involved in the interior design of the project, while former England captain Ferdinand is set to add the site to his Football Escapes company.
The firm provides premier football coaching courses at some of the most exclusive resorts around the world.
Welsh golfing legend Woosnam, meanwhile, has helped design the signature 18-hole golf course.
The proposed project – which sits over 250 hectares – will be divided into three different areas under the brand name Mirage.
Mirage Sport will feature a large sporting events venue, elite training facility and a 400-room hotel alongside a commercial, conference and business centre.
Meanwhile Mirage Golf will also have a hotel and 1,200 luxury apartments, alongside its course.
Finally Mirage Club will be an exclusive sporting club ‘designed as a lifestyle resort for the professional sports and sports business community’.
It will include a five-star hotel, spa, casino and luxury apartments.
An entertainment venue and university campus are also being considered for the site, according to the detailed 17-page overview of the project, seen by the Olive Press.
Construction is planned to begin by the middle of next year if Mijas town hall – which has still not formed a working government following recent local elections – gives it the green light.
I’ve been working on this for eight years now and we are so close to getting the backing we need, it will be fantastic and hugely important for not only Mijas but the whole Costa del Sol.”
