The announcement was made by Northern Ireland's Sports Minister Edwin Poots, who visited the High Performance Centre at the Jordanstown campus to announce the Northern Ireland venues to be included in the guide. 

 

Poots said: “The eight facilities will work together to create three multi-sport hubs, led by the University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Bangor Castle Leisure Centre, and Queen’s University Belfast.

 

"Together they will offer the National Paralympic Committees an opportunity to train at camps that cater for 17 of the 21 Paralympic disciplines.

 

“The £12 million High Performance Centre here at Jordanstown is of exceptional quality and something we are all proud of in Northern Ireland. 

 

“We want to be a destination of choice for athletes and showcase our quality sporting venues and facilities in what will be the biggest show in town in the summer of 2012.”

 

The University of Ulster’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sport, Professor Jim Allen, said: “The University is delighted to be selected for the Paralympics Pre-Games Training Guide.

 

"We look forward to welcoming the athletes and working in leading Northern Ireland forward in sport.”

 

Poots and Allen were joined at the launch by children from Mitchell School for children with physical disabilities, and took part in sporting activities with the children, including boccia (wheelchair bowls) and foam javelin throwing. 

 

World Paralympic Champion and Irish International athlete Michael McKillop was also on hand at the launch.

 

McKillop is on the verge of selection for the Irish team for this year’s Paralympics in Beijing and said: “The facilities here are amazing.

 

"I come here every week to work with the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland that is based at Jordanstown and know how good this place is.

 

"The services are a great and are helping me out brilliantly in getting me to China this year.”

 

London 2012 plans to officially launch its Paralympic Pre-Games Training Camp next month.