LONDON has seen off tough global competition to host the prestigious 2011 international Sport Accord convention. Boris Johnson made the announcement at the 2012 Olympics business summit’ in East London’s ExCel centre yesterday

LONDON has seen off tough global competition to host the prestigious 2011 international Sport Accord convention.

Boris Johnson made the announcement at the 2012 Olympics business summit’ in East London’s ExCel centre yesterday.

Sport Accord will see 1,500 of the world’s top sporting officials and business people from 60 countries in town for the six-day event which will put �3 million into London’s coffers, the Mayor pointed out.

But the convention is expected to be worth much more as a showcase’ of British expertise, with preparations going full steam for the 2012 Games just a year later. It is being seen as a way to boost the UK’s market share of the �65 billion global sports industry.

Sport Accord has a vested interest in any city hosting the Olympics. Its top entrepreneur delegates will be keen to witness at first hand London’s final preparations for the 2012 Olympics.

The convention in the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in the spring of 2011 will be the first time it is being hosted in the UK.