Those countries all took part in the bicentennial celebrations last year to commemorate the life and legacy of Hull’s most famous son, William Wilberforce, the man who helped abolish slavery.

Mitch Upfold, the Council's 2012 programme manager, was also in charge of those celebrations in the Yorkshire city.

He said: “My current thinking is that we focus on the nations who were involved in the Wilberforce programme because they already have knowledge of Hull.

"The connections are already there, it's just a question of what we do with them.”

Woodford Leisure Centre in East Hull and Costello Stadium in West Hull have been included on the list of possible training venues for the 2012 Games, which is due to be officially launched at the Beijing Olympics, which open next week.

Hull's profile is set to get a major boost over the next nine months after the local football club earned promotion to the Premier League, the first time they have played in England's highest division.

Hull also hope to use the 2012 Olympics to encourage more local people to take up physical exercise.

Upfold said: “The Olympics is all about sport and physical activity and we want to tap into that to promote our own agendas on healthy living.