IPSWICH is today preparing for a major sporting and economic boost as an Olympic delegation visits after setting their sights on the town as a base in the run up to the London 2012 games.

BIR ?ey deyil - you are welcome!

Ipswich is today preparing for a major sporting and economic boost as an Olympic delegation visits after setting their sights on the town as a base in the run up to the London 2012 games.

The top athletes and coaches from Azerbaijan arrive tomorrow for their week-long training camp, sampling some of the town's sporting facilities.

Six Olympic standard athletes and two of their coaches will be using the Northgate Sports Centre athletic facilities and Crown Pools for swimming and fitness training.

The visit comes after Azerbaijan Olympic chiefs pin-pointed Ipswich as an ideal location to give their athletes the best preparation for the 2012 games.

Ipswich Borough Council has been in talks with the National Olympic Committee for Azerbaijan for months to negotiate the visit and discuss the possibilities of basing their pre-games training camp here.

Councillor Judy Terry, arts, culture and leisure portfolio-holder, said the plans could result in a significant economic boost to the town, further fuelling its fightback against the economic downturn.

“This visit from these top Azerbaijan athletes shows that our efforts to attract teams to Ipswich, to consider using our fantastic facilities in their preparation for the 2012 Olympics, is working,” she said.

“We intend to show these athletes that Ipswich can provide the facilities, environment and welcome that any team preparing for the Olympics needs.

“This would not only be a sporting boost for the area but also have important economic and tourism spin-off, too.”

Four Olympic standard sprinters, with a 4x100 metre relay time of 39.77 seconds, and two triple jumpers, with distances of 16.49m and 16.09m, will be among the delegation.

The visiting athletes will be staying at the newly opened Ramada Hotel in Ranleagh Road.

Hotel manager Peter Osborne said: “We see the 2012 London Olympics as a great opportunity to host competitors in Ipswich taking part in pre games training camps and then to host spectators using Ipswich as a base, and then travelling down by rail to watch the games.”

Some phrases to help make the delegation feel welcome:-

Hello - Salam / Salam �l�yk�m

How are you? - Siz nec�siniz?

Nice to meet you - �ox ?adam

What is your name? - Ad?n?z n�dir?

Goodbye - xudafiz

Good morning - sabah?n?z xeyir

Good afternoon - g�n ayd?n, Salam

Good evening -ax?am?n?z xeyir

Good night - gec�niz xeyir� qals?n

Thank you - Sa? olun

Athletes and coaches:-

Valentin Bulichev came 1st in the 200m at the National Indoor Championships in 2008.

Pavel Setin's personal best in the 100m is 11.03 and at 200m his PB is 21.59.

Ruslan Abbasov's personal best in the 100m is 10.28 and in the 200m his PB is 20.74.

Teymur Abbasov gained his personal best in the triple jump is 16.37m in June 2009 in Sarajevo.

Rufat Aliyev - no data available.

Kamran Jalilov - no data available.

Sergey Tahmazov - coach

Nazim Israfilov - coach

Azerbaijan:

Oil-rich Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 amid political turmoil

Population: 8.5 million

Capital: Baku

Major language: Azeri, Russian

Major religion: Islam

Did you know?

World Champion Chess Player Garry Kasparov learned to play chess in Azerbaijan where he grew up as a child