Venues selected as 2012 training sites

8:02am Wednesday 12th March 2008

EDMONTON Leisure Centre and Southgate Hockey Centre have both been chosen as London 2012 Pre-Games training camps.

The leisure centre has been chosen for basketball and the Southgate venue for hockey by the London Organising Committee (LOC).

The two were among 96 venues across London and over 600 nationwide chosen as possible training sites for athletes ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

The announcement came as it was revealed that countries will be offered a £25,000 cash incentive by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to base themselves in the UK ahead of the Games in order to acclimatise.

Simon Clegg, chief executive of the British Olympic Association, said: "The last weeks of an athlete's preparation for an Olympic Games can have a significant impact on their performance."

Over 600 facilities from across the UK will be listed in the guide that will be published for this year's Beijing Olympics.

The facilities in the guide range from well known sporting venues such as Charlton Athletic Football Club to community leisure centres and universities.

The guide will be circulated to all National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees.

Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell said: "This is a real opportunity for communities across the UK to capitalize on the benefits that hosting 2012 offers."

Sebastian Coe, chairman of the LOC, added: "We said that we wanted the London Games to be for athletes, and the facilities listed in this guide will really help overseas athletes prepare well.

"It also provides a great opportunity for towns throughout the UK to get involved in our plans."

The news was welcomed across the world, with Prince Feisal Al Hussein, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee, saying: "The London Olympics will be something special and any assistance that Jordan can receive in preparing our young athletes for 2012 will be welcomed."