Top Derbyshire sporting facilities to be included in London 2012 Pre Games Training Camp Guide
Two of Derbyshire's top sporting venues are to be included in the London Organising Committee Pre-Games Training Camp Guide.
Derbyshire County Cricket Club and Repton School have been chosen as suitable training venues for teams from all over the world to use in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics in London.
Details of both venues will be included in the guide which will be published at the Beijing Games later this year to give teams and individual athletes details of facilities they can choose to use to prepare for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Derbyshire County Cricket Club has been chosen as a potential base for an archery team, and Repton School has been selected as a possible training venue for archery, badminton, fencing, hockey and table tennis.
The Guide will be circulated to all National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees, and these organisations will then decide where they base themselves or where to send individual athletes to prepare and acclimatise for London 2012.
Extensive details of the facilities will also appear on a dedicated website which is being developed by national tourism agency Visit Britain together with LOCOG.
Tim Garfield, Regional Director of Sport England East Midlands said: "The guide highlights a number of great facilities that Sport England has invested in through National Lottery funding, such as Derbyshire County Cricket Club
"We have worked hard to create a backbone of high quality sports facilities across the East Midlands which are now preparing to host athletes from across the world in preparation for the London 2012 Games."
Jeff Moore, Chief Executive East Midlands Development Agency and Nations and Regions Group Member for the East Midlands said: "We are delighted that many of our regional facilities will be included in LOCOG?s guide.
"We see the hosting of teams as a real opportunity to bring the Games to the people of the East Midlands and we know we have a range of sites that will be attractive to competing nations."
More than 600 facilities from across the UK will be included in the Guide, ranging from well known major sporting hubs, universities and schools to community facilities, and sport specific facilities.
Facilities were invited to apply in July 2006, and the assessment process was carried out during 2007.
They were assessed against strict technical criteria such as the ability to offer high quality sports training facilities, experience of hosting elite teams, comfortable but affordable accommodation, the ability to offer appropriate catering, good transport links, access to a good hospital, and good sports science facilities.
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "The strength and diversity of our sporting infrastructure is demonstrated by so many high quality facilities having met the strict criteria to be included in this Guide. This is a real opportunity for communities across the UK to capitalise on the benefits that hosting 2012 offers.
"There are no guarantees of success just by making it into the Guide. There will be fierce competition to host foreign teams and individuals, and now it is for every nation and region, every venue, to sell itself internationally."