Mark Meredith, Stoke's elected Mayor,  said the city was hopeful that discussions with General Sayed Arif Hassan, the chairman of the Pakistan Olympic Committee (POC), would be successful.

 

He said: "Talks are on-going.

 

"The team is not committed to anyone else yet.

 

"A delegation will be visiting Britain in the summer and we plan to take advantage of that trip to talk to them in more detail.

 

"Our facilities at Fenton Manor, Trentham and Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club have been added to an Olympics-standard list, which is sent to the various countries around the world.

 

"Those countries are then able to see which place best suits their requirements.

 

"It is also up to us to promote our facilities to those teams.

 

"But it might be as long as 12 months until anything is finalised."

 

Hassan visited Stoke last year and was given a tour around Fenton Manor sports complex, Staffordshire University and the Wallace Centre Boxing Club, Abbey Hulton.

 

He said that the city was "a front-runner" to host Pakistan.

 

Pakistan, the sixth biggest country in the world with a population of 173 million, has only ever won 10 Olympic medals, since making its debut in the Games at London in 1948.

 

All of them have come in hockey, except  for a bronze in wrestling and boxing.

 

They have won the gold medal in hockey on three occasions, the last of which was at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

 

The last time they won an Olympic medal was when they took the bronze in the hockey tournament at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

 

Pakistan's Government launched an inquiry after Beijing when the hockey team finished only eighth, their worst-ever performance.

 

A new plan has since been launched targeting a gold medal in hockey at London 2012.

 

If Pakistan chooses Stoke for London 2012 then the hockey team will probably base themselves in the city but travel to use the world-class facilities at Cannock.

 

Pakistan sent a squad of 21 competitors to Beijing, 16 of whom were hockey players.

 

The only other sports they were represnted in were athletics, shooting and swimming.

 

But Meredith is still excited by the prospect of Stoke being affiliated to an overseas team competing in London.

 

He said: "It would be fantastic for us to host an Olympic team.

 

"As a city we want to become recognised as a city of sport.

 

"Three years is not that far away, and 2012, for me, will bring pride to our nation.

 

"For the UK to host the biggest world event, and for our city to be part of that, will be tremendously inspirational.

 

"Locally I hope we will all feel extremely proud of our achievements, whether they be on the field or making the place more healthy and a better place to live."