The town has today congratulated its Olympic partner after it launched a bold bid to host the 2020 games.

Azerbaijan will be basing a large cohort of its top athletes in Ipswich for the 2012 London Games.

Its authorities have now announced that Baku, the nation’s capital, is aiming to host the extravaganza and Ipswich Borough Council’s Bryony Rudkin said it was “exciting news”.

She said: “We have had several meetings with their top officials and are ready to welcome them here next year. I am sure it will be a professional bid which should attract a lot of support.”

Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Britain, Fakhraddin Gurbanov, led a delegation to Ipswich last month to look at the council’s sports facilities and to make plans for the country’s pre-Games training camp.

He said: “I am very excited about my country making a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games. As I will be in London for the 2012 Games and experience it first hand, I will know the benefits of hosting the greatest show on earth.”

Eight cities are in the running, including Doha, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo.