Ahead of the Copenhagen IOC meeting to determine the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games later this year, the Japanese Olympic Committee has chosen the East Midlands as its training base for the 2012 Games in London. Japanese atheletes will live and train at Loughborough, starting from this summer.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda and Loughborough University Vice Chancellor Professor Shirley Pearce at the Japanese Embassy in London.
The East Midlands Development Agency (emda) worked with the university to secure the agreement:
“There will be major cultural, academic and economic benefits arising from working with Japan. We are already in discussions to ensure University staff and students, the local Charnwood community and the wider East Midlands all gain from this new relationship.”
Maki Ishida, Tokyo 2016 representative at JLGC, said:
I think this will help not only Team Japan for the 2012 Games but also many needed activities in UK to help the Tokyo 2016 Olympics bid.
