The multi-purpose Melbourne Arena is set to be renamed to honour late Victoria Premier John Cain.
Current Premier Daniel announced earlier today (Monday) that the venue would be rebranded as John Cain Arena in tribute to Cain, who died in December at the age of 88.
The 9,500-seat Melbourne Arena is one of the main venues used to stage the Australian Open tennis grand slam and also hosts games played by local basketball and netball teams.
The venue was formerly known as Hisense Arena but it became Melbourne Arena in 2018 after Tennis Australia acquired naming rights in a five-year deal. Chinese consumer electronics company Hisense had held the naming rights since 2008.
Andrews said the venue will change its name to John Cain Arena in the coming months after Tennis Australia agreed to give up the naming rights.
“John Cain made an enormous contribution to Victorian life and it’s particularly appropriate that we honour his legacy at Melbourne Park,” Andrews said in a statement reported by the Australian Associated Press news agency.
“People will see his name and know the story of a man who made our state a better place.”
Cain served as Victoria Premier from 1982 to 1990 and played a major role in the Australian Open’s relocation from Melbourne’s Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club to the Melbourne Park complex in 1988.
This year’s Australian Open concluded yesterday, with Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin picking up the men’s and women’s singles titles, respectively.
Image: DestinationAlan
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