The money will be available to schools, universities, sports clubs and leisure centres which sign up to become an official Games-time training venue.

London 2012 and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are, respectively, managing the project and funding the majority of the capital works needed.

Deals have been struck with 16 venues in London and another 12, which are largely football training facilities outside London, are due to sign-up by the end of the year.

Coe, Johnson and ODA chairman John Armitt joined Olympic badminton silver medallist Gail Emms at Redbridge Sports and Leisure Centre, who have been awarded £200,000 ($316,000), to officially launch the new initiative.

"These are first-rate venues that will provide excellent training facilities for athletes getting ready for the biggest sporting competition in their careers," said Coe.

"It is important that they have high-quality training areas for their final preparations.

"Funding from the ODA has helped upgrade these facilities.

"This is a tangible benefit of the Games because these upgrades will be available for use afterwards, ensuring that local communities have access to the facilities as well."

Olympics and Paralympic athletes from 205 countries will use the sport-specific facilities from July 16 2012, 11 days before the Games begin, as part of their final preparations for London 2012.

The training venues are to be open to them when they move in to the Athletes' Village in Stratford through to the end of the Paralympic Games on September 9 2012.

They must be no more than 30 minutes away and will also offer medical facilities, changing rooms and catering.



Armitt said: "By investing in existing facilities where possible, the best value for the taxpayer has been secured in addition to sports provision being significantly improved across the area. Venues will be left with world-class courts and surfaces which will serve the community for years to come."

Redbridge will provide training for badminton, judo and wrestling during the Olympics and for goalball during the Paralympics.

The ODA grant is to help build a £6.4 million ($10.1 million) badminton and netball centre, with about half the amount coming from the Trust which runs the centre, in addition to external funding from organisations such as Sport England through the National Lottery, Badminton England, the London Marathon Trust and England Netball.

Other facilities set to benefit are Barking Abbey School, who are due to be a training facility for basketball during London 2012, the Greenwich Academy, which will provide a centre for gymnastics.

The programme is aimed at improving Londoners access to good quality and affordable facilities and is part of the Mayor's overall sports legacy plan, which will see over £30 million ($47.5 million) being invested in community sport in London over the next two years.

"Increasing sporting participation in the capital and creating a physical legacy from the 2012 Games has always been a key priority," said Johnson.

"Today’s announcement puts some very important wheels in motion with a host of local venues across the capital being upgraded.

"More importantly this funding ensures that the local community will be able to benefit from state of the art facilities post 2012.

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