BURY St Edmunds has been chosen to host an international Olympic team for the London 2012 Games.

Athletes from the Rwanda Olympic Team will take up residence in the town before making their final preparations at the West Suffolk Athletics Arena.

Beraho Ignace, president of the central African nation's Olympic Committee, made the announcement in a letter to Warren Smyth, manager of Abbeycroft Leisure, describing the decision to choose Bury as 'wonderful' and the beginning of a lasting legacy between the town and Rwanda.

He said: 'It is with great pleasure that I announce the Rwanda Olympic Committee and Rwanda Paralympic Committee have endorsed Bury St Edmunds as our hosts for the London 2012 Pre-Games training programme.

'The Rwanda teams for both games see this as a brilliant opportunity to create meaningful community driven programmes, long term educational links, and in turn hope that the people of Bury adopt Rwanda as their second team for the 2012 Olympic Games.'

The Rwanda team took four athletes to the Beijing Olympics but are expected to bring up to four times that number when they arrive in Bury.

Bury is the first town in Suffolk to be chosen as a host town for 2012 and the announcement was greeted with surprise and excitement by town and county leaders.

Adam Baker, Suffolk County Council's 2012 project manager, said it was a fantastic reflection on the welcoming committee who greeted Rwanda's Olympic attaché, Daniel Beniston, in June.

He said: 'He looked at numerous other venues but was so impressed with the enthusiasm and effort shown by the town that he had no hesitation in recommending Bury. This is now about a relationship that can be built on during the next three years and the possibilities are huge.'

Warren Smythe, manager of Abbeycroft Leisure, who received confirmation from Mr Ignace on Tuesday, said: 'I couldn't believe it when I got the news - it's just amazing. Not just for the fact we will have international athletes training at our facility but the fact it will really put Bury on the map.

'There are so many opportunities from athletic exchanges between athletes here and in Rwanda to business, cultural and educational possibilities.'

David Ruffley, MP for Bury, said he was in no doubt the whole town would give a warm welcome to the Olympians when they arrived.

He said: 'This goes beyond the excitement and glamour of the Olympics. This is a chance for Bury to create long-standing cultural bridges between the people of Rwanda and the people of Suffolk and I'm sure everyone will get behind this wonderful opportunity.'