Birmingham's Alexandra Stadium, Coventry's Ricoh Arena and Worcester Rugby Club are among the 33 Midland venues approved by Olympic officials to serve as training camps for London 2012, it was revealed yesterday.

As well as established sporting venues, smaller centres such as Birmingham University's Munrow Sports Centre, Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club, and Royal Leamington Spa Polo Club are among the sites included in the pre-Games training camp guide.

More than 600 facilities across the UK are listed in the guide, which will be published at the Beijing Games in the summer, enabling athletes and managers to choose where they prepare for the 2012 Games.

It will also be sent to all National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees, and a website developed with Visit Britain, will be launched next month.

The region is already set to welcome the US track and field team, who are said to favour the High Performance Centre in Perry Barr, with China's gymnasts looking to train at Lilleshall, in Staffordshire.

Steve Town, regional director for Sport England West Midlands, added that "embryonic talks" were also taking place with teams representing India, Jamaica and Pakistan, as well as several Paralympic teams.

The London Organising Committee will offer each committee up to £25,000 to help teams to base themselves in Britain.

Mr Town added: "It's excellent that we have so many quality sports facilities in the region, some having been funded through Sport England, to offer to visiting teams for their preGames training.

"We're currently working on a memorandum of understanding with the US track and field team coming to Birmingham, it's 95 per cent there, we're just ironing out the details.

"We want schoolchildren from across the region to see these competitors in action, in the hope they will be inspired to take up a sport, to know what it takes to become a world-class athlete, and maybe become competitors in the future."

More than 1,200 sporting venues, clubs and facilities wanted to be included in the guide, with more than 70 in the Midlands put up for consideration.

They were assessed against strict technical criteria such as quality sports training facilities, experience of hosting elite teams, as well as rating accommodation, catering, transport links, access to a good hospital and sports science facilities.

Coun Chris Saint of Warwickshire County Council, who chairs the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games, admitted some venues "will be disappointed".

"We should be extremely pleased that these are recognised because, as a region, we have a superb mix of community based and world-class sporting facilities that we are justifiably proud of.

"This and our central geographic location should make the West Midlands an extremely attractive proposition for overseas teams. We want to host the big teams, such as the Americans, but the benefits to the region will be more than financial.

"I think there will be a real feel good factor associated with the event and the role the Midlands plays in that, which we hope will encourage visitors to return."

Approved training camp venues:
* Birmingham
Alexander Stadium, Perry Barr
Birmingham High Performance Centre
Edgbaston Priory Club
Gymnastics and Martial Arts Centre
Munrow Sports Centre, Birmingham University
National Exhibition Centre
National Indoor Arena

* Black Country
Aldersley Leisure Village
Walsall Sports Centre, Wolverhampton University

* Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire
Alan Higgs Centre
Centre for Sport, Coventry University
Draycote Water
Pingles Leisure Centre
Ricoh Arena/Jaguar Exhibition Halls
Royal Leamington Spa Polo Club
Rugby School
Stoneleigh Park
University of Warwick
Warwickshire College, Moreton Morrell

* Herefordshire
Bromyard Bowmen
Bromyard Equestrian Centre

* Shropshire
AFC Telford United
Harper Adams College
Lilleshall National Sports Centre
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury Sports Village
Telford Athletics Stadium
Telford College of Arts and Technology

* Staffordshire
Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club
Fenton Manor Sports Complex

* Worcestershire
University of Worcester
Worcester Rugby Football Club