The sportswear giant is welcoming members of the public and tourists through their doors until August 12.

Mizuno have state-of-the-art activity zones for sprinting, football and handball which test speed, agility, accuracy and power.

Prizes will be given to the highest scorers in the various activities on offer.

"I am very happy," said Mizuno President Akito Mizuno.

"I'm thrilled to be opening the Mizuno Performance Centre ahead of what will be a brilliant summer of sport.

"We believe the iconic status of the building is a perfect reflection of the Mizuno brand.

"Our customers have a wonderful opportunity to try out the latest Seiei Collection products, interact with our sports stars and explore more about our Japanese heritage in what will be a truly exciting day out for all the family."

The centre welcomed a number of high-profile athletes to promote Mizuno and the centre today, including former Manchester United forward Dwight Yorke.

Former Olympic, world and Commonwealth Games 400 metres hurdle champion Sally Gunnell was also in attendance, as was golfer Luke Donald, Tasha Danvers, a 400m hurdles bronze medallist from Beijing 2008, England rugby sevens player Dan Norton and British handball stars Simon Wittlin and Heidi Møller.

Sally Gunnell, Luke Donald and Tasha Danvers pose before their portraits at the new Mizuno Performance Centre

"It's great to have been involved in the opening of the Mizuno Performance Centre which I'm sure will be hugely popular this summer," said Donald, the current world number one.

"Providing a great chance for visitors to try out different sports and test out the latest Mizuno equipment it's a must for any sports fan."

Japanese artist Hidekichi Shigemoto was also here to wow the crowd by painting live pictures of Danvers, Donald and Gunnell.

Yorke then took to the football stand to test the accuracy of his shooting, while Wittlin and Møller also practised their skills before taking on the football challenge.

The company's range of Seiei footwear, worn by their athletes, is also on show at the performance centre, as well as a free biomechanical running analysis to try out.

The venue is also available for corporate events during weekday evenings, and anyone wanting more information can click here for more information.

Mizuno have been involved in a number of major sports events down the years including the Moscow 1980 and Barcelona 1992 Olympics.

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