Øvrebø, the NIF's top sports manager, said the organisation was waiting for funding approval from the Ministry of Culture and the Norwegian School of Sport before proceeding with the plan.

The NIF began to investigate building a dedicated national sports centre in 2019 after the Government allocated NOK3 million (£253,000/$314,000/€280,000) towards the project.

It is set to include new outdoor facilities, such as a stadium, tennis courts and ice rinks, as well as areas where the NIF can hold meetings and conferences.

Øvrebø, a former rower who represented Norway at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, stressed the new centre - which could cost up to NOK525 million (£44 million/$55 million/€49 million) - was vital for the development of sport in the nation and for the NIF's activities.

"Our facility and workplace has become a hindrance for the development of training in our top class international programme," he said. 

"The attractiveness as a fitness centre for athletes and coaches, and as a workplace for many, is only continuing to decline. 

"Maintenance costs are rising, and we are slowly but surely moving into a crisis.

"We need to strengthen the physical meeting space in order to offer world-class training facilities - while also providing an arena for interaction, sharing, learning and development across sports."

NIF President Berit Kjøll welcomed the development of the centre.

"I am pleased to have been presented with something that is both forward-looking and modern, at the same time that it is effective," she said. 

"There is realism in this project and I really look forward to a good discussion and treatment in the Sports Board."

The plans are due to be discussed by the Norwegian Sports Board next month.