THEOlympic Flame is coming to Basingstoke!

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay have today announced that the famous flame will pass through Basingstoke on Wednesday, July 11 as part of a country-wide tour that will culminate in the lighting of the cauldron at the Olympic stadium in London during the opening ceremony.

Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), said: “We are thrilled to confirm that Basingstoke will act as a host location for the Olympic Flame, extending an invitation to people in the borough to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay during its journey around the United Kingdom.

“This is the UK's moment to shine and I want to encourage people across Basingstoke and Deane to start planning how they can be part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and show their support for the inspirational torchbearers chosen to carry the Olympic Flame as we count down to the start of the Olympic Games.”

Civic leaders who have campaigned to have Basingstoke included on the prestigious flame relay route are celebrating what is being described as a huge honour.

The process to bring the torch to Basingstoke has involved months of behind-the-scenes work by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Deputy leader Councillor Clive Sanders, Cabinet member for sport and leisure, said: “This is great news for Basingstoke and Deane.

“In Basingstoke and Deane, we have a great track record for sporting achievement, which is a reflection of the commitment of our local clubs and communities to encouraging sport for all ages. This is also a recognition of the investment that we have made, and continue to make, in our sports facilities.”

Cllr Sanders added: “For our local torchbearers, this will be a unique opportunity for them to be, for a brief period, the focal point of the biggest sporting event on earth - something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

“I hope that all of our communities and our schools will get involved when the spotlight is on our borough, and in the lead-up to the Olympics, so that it will also be an event that we will all remember and feel proud to have been part of.”

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, who has campaigned to get the town included on the torch route, said: “It is a huge honour for Basingstoke and clear recognition of the commitment of a large number of residents, community organisations and schools who have all pledged their support for a Basingstoke leg to the torch relay. I look forward to seeing the torch being carried through the centre of our town.”

The announcement of the exact route through the town, and the names of the local torchbearers, will not be made until much nearer the event.

The flame passed through Basingstoke the last time the Olympics was hosted in London, in 1948, when 21-year-old Basingstoke athlete Bill Plester carried the torch on its way from Torquay to Wembley stadium.

This time, the 70-day Olympic Torch Relay will start at Land's End in Cornwall on the morning of May 19, 2012. On leaving Land's End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles round the UK, and be carried by over 8,000 inspirational torchbearers who will each have a story of personal achievement and/or contribution to their local community.

The same ritual for lighting the flame is followed for every Olympic games. It is lit from the sun's rays at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Athens before a short relay around Greece. It is then handed to the host country where it is carried from one torchbearer to another, intending to spread a message of peace, unity and friendship.