Where a special welcome awaits

As Olympic Committees around the world consider their choice of Pre-Games Training Camps (PGTC) for 2012, they can be sure that one destination in the United Kingdom will offer their athletes a welcome unlike any other. That place is Northern Ireland.

No region in the United Kingdom is more willing to open its doors and its hearts to our international sports visitors than Northern Ireland. And certainly, no other part of these islands is better placed to look after our visitors and their families; to cater for their every sporting need and offer them warm Northern Irish hospitality.

As decisions are made about which PGTCs to select for their teams, the primary focus for the Olympic Committees will be on the quality of the sports facilities available at each venue throughout the UK. Northern Ireland boasts a superb range of 26 separate facilities, catering for 22 distinct sports disciplines. These facilities cover everything from Archery to Judo; Basketball to Wrestling. Underpinning this sports resource is a world-class network of sports medical care and transportation links that will ensure a seamless period of training and preparation for our visiting athletes.

However, Northern Ireland offers so much more to our visitors, beyond the opportunity for optimal Olympic and Paralympic preparation. The region is bursting withrich cultural experiences for our international visitors - unforgettable scenery, historic, vibrant cities, and warm, genuinely friendly people.

As every part of the UK undergoes its own training regime to prepare for the Olympic challenge, we are confident that Northern Ireland will step up to the mark and be ready to embrace the role of providing the very best PGTC facilities for our Olympic friends.