WITH London 2012 now only days away, York is hoping to welcome athletes from two African nations who are eyeing the city as a potential training base.

Gambia and Guinea Bissau have both said they would like to use the city and its sporting facilities in the run up to the games.

Ian Ashton, who headed up the group set up to welcome West African nations to the 2012 Olympics, said that though they had not yet received confirmation from the two countries, “the door was still open”.

He said: “Obviously, we will look after them if we get a positive response. We are still hoping and the door is still open to them.”

President Augusti Bernardo Viegas, of the Guinea-Bissau Olympic Committee, visited York in 2010 to tour facilities.

Meanwhile, Gambia’s Olympic chief, Lawrence Bruce, previously declared his country could not “wait to come to York” after touring facilities here two years ago.

The trip involved tours of York College , Huntington Stadium, the University of York and meetings with sports scientists at York St John University , who went on a four-day coaching course to Gambia that March – accompanied by Ashton.

Speaking at the time, Bruce said: “I have been greatly impressed with what I have seen around York. I have really enjoyed myself looking at these great facilities, which are compared to none I have seen so far. We can make good use of them in 2012. We can’t wait to come to York.”