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Eleven Yorkshire Sports Facilities in _2012 Paralympic Guide

Eleven sporting facilities from across the Yorkshire and Humber region will feature in London 2012’s Pre-Games Training Camp Guide for Paralympic sports.

The selected venues are:

Ponds Forge International Sports centre – Sheffield
Don Valley Stadium – Sheffield
Leeds Metropolitan University Sports Centre – Leeds
John Charles Centre for Sport – Leeds
Hillsborough Leisure Centre – Sheffield
Ice Sheffield – Sheffield
English Institute for Sport – Sheffield
Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre
Concord Sports Centre – Sheffield
Campus Sports Centre University of Leeds – Leeds
Middleton Equestrian Centre - Leeds

Martin Havenhand, executive chair of the Yorkshire Committee for the 2012 Games said: “I’m delighted that once again the Yorkshire and Humber region’s sports facilities have been selected to appear in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camps Guide, giving us the opportunity to showcase them to Paralympic teams across the world.

“Sport continues to be one of our region’s great strengths and is central to the Yorkshire Gold strategy. Attracting teams to the region is not only important for sport, but will have real benefits for business, tourism, our communities and culture.

“The London 2012 Games present a wonderful opportunity to secure a lasting legacy ¬for the region.”

Sheffield Steelers player Jo Harper, from Dore in Sheffield, said: “It is wonderful to see so many venues from Yorkshire included in the training camp guide. It represents a real commitment from the region to Paralympic sports and opens up a wealth of opportunities for cities such as Sheffield to take advantage of ahead of the London Games.”

Oldham Owls wheelchair basketball player Peter Finbow, from Dewsbury, said: “It is fantastic news that so many Yorkshire venues have made it in to the LOCOG Guide. The announcement highlights the range of high quality, elite sporting facilities that we have in the region that can cater for international Paralympic squads and it will be great to see teams making use of the facilities in the build up to 2012.”

Leeds table tennis Paralympian, Cathy Mitten, said: “The purpose of the Pre-Games Training Camp is to allow athletes to recover from their journey and acclimatize to the conditions so they can prepare, both mentally and physically, for the Paralympic Games. The best camps are those with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and access to first class training facilities and, perhaps I am a little biased, but that is exactly what Leeds has to offer.”

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) announced the list of successful facilities today. It will publish its Guide of both Olympic and Paralympic facilities which are capable of hosting teams wanting to prepare for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in the summer.

The Guide contains a selection of high quality, sporting facilities that meet the technical criteria of national and international sports bodies and also accessibility and support service requirements to be a suitable venue to host Paralympic teams.

The review process has been conducted by LOCOG’s sport department with input from the National Governing Bodies of Sport and a Steering Group with representatives from LOCOG, the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and with input from the Sports Councils for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Guidance has also been provided by local London 2012 contacts and regional experts specialising in disability sport. It has been a comprehensive analysis of high quality elite Paralympic sporting facilities in the UK. It follows on from the publication of Olympic training camp facilities last March.

The facilities have been assessed with a strong focus on standards of accessibility and accommodation, plus the commitment of the facilities to co-operate with National Paralympic Committees (NPCs). Those facilities selected are either capable of hosting a wide variety of sports or have been chosen as a Centre of Excellence with a specialism in hosting a particular a specific sport such as Paralympic Athletics.

LOCOG has a training camp financial award scheme which can offer up to £25,000, subject to certain criteria, to help attract National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) to base themselves in the UK.

Extensive details of the facilities will appear on a dedicated website showcasing the quality and variety of options throughout the UK which will help NPCs and NOCs decide where to train. The national tourism agency, Visit Britain, is developing this new website in partnership with LOCOG and will bring its experience of marketing destinations and tourism products to an international audience

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee, said: “The facilities listed in this Guide will really help overseas athletes and teams prepare well for London 2012. The assessment process we have conducted shows that there is a good spread of high quality sporting facilities for athletes across the board. I hope that as many teams and athletes as possible take advantage of these facilities. Our vision is to use the Games to inspire change and change attitudes towards people with a disability. We look forward to welcoming Paralympic athletes to the UK in 2012”

Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, commented: “I’m delighted for each of the facilities that are included in the Guide. We’re looking forward to seeing elite athletes from around the world training here in advance of the Paralympic Games, raising the profile of the Games and engaging with local communities across the UK.”

Tessa Jowell, Minister responsible for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “I am pleased we have so many facilities across the UK that can serve as training camps ahead of the Paralympic Games. This country has one of the finest Paralympic teams in the world; and an unwavering support of sport for disabled people. I have no doubt that foreign teams will be impressed with the choices and opportunities they have to train here, and that’s good news not only for our sporting infrastructure, but for the legacy from the Games.”

Phil Lane, CEO ParalympicsGB, said: “It is a significant bonus for the National Paralympic Committees around the world to benefit from the same process and awards as their Olympic counterparts for the first time. We have worked closely with London 2012 in evaluating these sites and are sure that the UK’s Nations and Regions will provide excellent facilities for Paralympic athletes preparing for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.”

The Guide will be launched at the Beijing Games after which time it will be available online. See http://www.london2012.com/news for a full regional breakdown of the Paralympic facilities.

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