The Azerbaijan Paralympics Committee have sent 23 athletes and 10 officials to the town in Buckinghamshire where the Paralympics was founded in 1948.

"We are so pleased that our athletics are able to train at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, given the high level of equipment and quality service, I think they will find this time extremely beneficial to their Paralympics preparations," said Ramin Kasamanski, Azerbaijan's attaché.

Among the athletes preparing for the Games is judoka Ilham Zakiyev (pictured in blue), the country's most successful Paralympian, having won gold in the men's 100kg+ competition at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games.


Azerbaijan made its debut at the Paralympics at Atlanta in 1996 following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

It failed to win a medal at those Games but have improved at every subsequent event, winning one medal at Sydney in 2000, four in Athens in 2004 and 10 in Beijing four years ago, including two gold.

At London 2012 the team is pinning its hopes on doing well in athletics, archery, judo and powerlifting. 

Azerbaijan is one of several countries that are using the facilities at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in the build-up to London 2012.

"We're really enjoying having the Azerbaijan team here and are confident they are enjoying training with us due to the fact we have some of the best facilities in the UK," said Ian Seabrook, the business development manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.

"The Saudi powerlifting team, the Finish athletics, wheelchair rugby Squads and the Icelandic athletics and swimmers have all trained at Stoke Mandeville Stadium."

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