Sporting Village Approved as Potential Paralympic Venue

International wheelchair fencers, boccia, goalball and paralympic athletes could be gracing Basildon in the run up to the 2012 Paralympic Games.

This follows the announcement today by the by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) that the Basildon Sporting Village is considered suitable to host National Paralympic Committee’s (NPC’s). The facility will now be included in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide for Paralympic Sport. It is one of only 10 in the entire Eastern region to be included.

In March it was confirmed that the Sporting Village and South Essex Gymnastics Centre would be included in the pre-Games training camp guide for a number of Olympic sports. Today’s news has revealed that the Sporting Village will be included in the NPC’s guide for the sports of Paralympic Athletics, Boccia, Goalball, Paralympic Judo and Wheelchair Fencing.

The Guide will be released this summer and will promote facilities for preparation of international athletes in the lead up to the London 2012 Games. It will be an online facility in partnership with VisitBritain, and the guide will allow National Olympic Committee’s (NOC’s) and National Paralympic Committee’s (NPC’s) to search for training camps on a sporting and geographical basis.

The guide will be launched to NOC’s and NPC’s at a series of invitational events during the Beijing Olymoic and Paralympic Games later this year.

Cllr Stephen Horgan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Green Issues, says: “This is fantastic news and follows up the announcement in March that we will also be included for Olympic sports. After receiving official Government backing for the project last week, it is pleasing to see the good news keeps on coming. We are delighted to be included in the guide for Paralympic sports, and believe that the Basildon Sporting Village and Gymnastic Centre will offer teams the ideal facilities to prepare for the 2012 London Games in a great location only 30 minutes from the Olympic site in Stratford.”

The Sporting Village, which is supported by funding from Essex County Council and Communities and Local Government, will include modern facilities including a 50 metre Olympic sized pool, and is due to be completed by 2010.