The EIS is playing host to three national training camps for disability sports, including athletics and table tennis. Boccia is the next sport due to visit next weekend (December 2-3).

 

The camps follow glowing praise of Sheffield’s facilities from Britain's greatest ever Paralympic.

 

Twelve-times Paralympic gold medallist Tanni Grey Thompson, speaking at a Lighting The Flame lecture at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "I'm impressed by the energy and commitment of Sheffield, who are already attracting major sporting events to the city in the run up to the 2012 games.

 

"They have a 50 metre pool that is regularly used by international swimmers and the British diving team is also based there.

 

“It's a warm city with excellent facilities that offers a particularly warm welcome to athletes and all those who work with them."

 

The latest visit on December 2-3 sees 18 members of Britain's boccia squad gather at the EIS.

 

Boccia is a game of skill for people of all ages. Similar to the sport of boule, competitors propel a specially designed ball either free hand or down a specially designed chute.

 

The target sport is ideal for anyone with a disability who may be in a wheelchair as it is played from a seated position and offers the opportunity for people with a severe disability to compete in a Paralympic sport.

 

Camp co-ordinator Justine Willmott, Sports Performance Manager for the British Paralympic Association, said: “ Sheffield offers unrivalled facilities, accessibility and accommodation and is the perfect place to host training camps like this. We hold up to five training camps a year, which offer our Great Britain squad the unique opportunity to train together as a team.

 

“Boccia is a fast growing Paralympic sport. The GB squad is full of young stars of the future. They’ve recently returned with a bronze medal from the World Championships in Rio De Janeiro and some of them will hopefully go on to compete in London 2012.”

 

Ahead of international championships and the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics the English Institute of Sport-Sheffield has already been chosen as a training camp for the Saudi Arabia wheelchair basketball team in preparation for the Gulf Games in Autumn and as an headquarters for several sports governing bodies, including amateur boxing and volleyball.