University to host Sri Lanka Olympic squad in 2012

Durham University recently became the first North East Institute to reach an agreement to host athletes in the run up to the London 2012 Games; after announcing that a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed with the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.

The University and the South Asian nation have developed close ties since the latter was devastated by a tsunami nearly five years ago and the MoU, which states that Sri Lanka’s top athletes will use the facilities at Maiden Castle in preparation for their assault on the medal table, is a further example of this.

Hemasiri Fernando, President of the Sri Lankan National Olympic, said: “We are delighted to be working with Durham University in the pre-Olympic training of our athletes in anticipation of the London 2012 games.”

The Sri Lankan Olympic squad will join a prestigious list of sporting teams to have harnessed their skills in our humble sports ground; a list which includes Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle, the West Indies touring cricket team, three national football squads during the European Championships in 1996 and the Malaysian women’s national hockey outfit.

Dan Lewis, our Deputy Director of Sport, said: “We’re delighted to be able to continue our long history of supporting elite athletes”.

Sri Lanka have a modest history having only ever won two medals at the Games and are expected to only bring a small party of 10 competitors, but the developing nation are fast improving and will be looking to build on their performance from Beijing in 2008.

The significance of such a deal should not be underestimated as it gives future students and the North East as a whole a chance to really feel part of the Olympics.

Lewis stressed that: “We’re keen to promote that the 2012 Games doesn’t just belong to London and the deal means that the local schools will have a lot more affinity to the Games than perhaps they would have otherwise.

“The benefit of hosting a smaller nation is that they might be willing to train with our students, which would be a tremendous experience.”

Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, had similar thoughts saying: “The deal is great news for Durham University and the surrounding areas.

“It also gives the people of Durham a chance to get involved in the build up to the Games and potentially develop some exciting social and cultural programmes around the team’s visit.”

The North-East is expected to confirm at least two more Olympic squads in the near future with the Zambian team likely to sign a deal with Northumbria University and Teesside University in talks with the Singapore table tennis team.

Clearly then the North-East is showing the 2012 Games are definitely not just about London.