INTERNATIONAL athletes touched down in West Devon this week, to start their training for the Olympic Games.

The Swaziland athletes, sprinters Sibusiso Matsenjwa, 24, and Phumlile Ndzinisa, 20, arrived at Kelly College in Tavistock on Sunday, where they will be staying while training at Tavistock College.

The Swaziland High Commissioner Mrs Sukata met the athletes, along with their coach Muzi Mabuza and their masseur Nyoni Nquopa, at Heathrow airport early on Sunday morning. They were driven to Kelly College Adventure Centre by the transport team Aaron Beacom and Alan Roberton in a minibus loaned by Allan Batson of BVS Motors in Okehampton.

On reaching Kelly College, the athletes and their team were greeted by Kelly headmaster Graham Hawley, his wife Rachel and their family. A short induction in the evening was followed by a dinner laid on by Dr Jaquie Macrostie and her husband Stuart, at their home in Brentor.

The week started off relatively low key for the athletes, giving them time to acclimatise before gradually stepping up the intensity of their training, aiming to peak for Games.

The athletes will be training on the athletics track at Tavistock College and using the college sports centre's facilities. They have kindly agreed to attend both Tavistock College and Okehampton College for school assemblies and will train with the athletics clubs on some occasions during their stay.

James Allenby, of the West Devon Pre-Games Training Camp Committee, said: 'The committee would like to thank all those people who have kindly offered to help with the hosting of this unique project.

'We are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to make things run smoothly and who has helped to provide a real West Devon welcome to the team.'

As well as training, the athletes will have time to relax. They attended a civic reception yesterday (Wednesday) at Tavistock Town Hall, where they met the Mayor of Tavistock Anne Johnson and the Mayor of West Devon Robin Musgrave, supported by Tavistock Town Council, West Devon Borough Council, Okehampton Town Council, Devon County Council and the partnership of Tavistock College, Okehampton College and Kelly College. They will also be in Tavistock during carnival week and the team is due to attend the 'Music of the Night' concert at the Citadel in Plymouth on Wednesday ,July 18.