NEWPORT Harrier Steve Davies is hoping that a warm-weather training stint in South Africa will put him in good stead for the Celtic Indoor Cup this weekend.

The Caldicot runner - who was ranked fourth in the UK rankings last season over 1500m - is flying back from a UKA Training Camp for the Norwich Union GB & NI Team to represent Wales in the annual showdown against teams from Scotland, Ireland and UWIC.

Fresh from training alongside fellow Beijing middle-distance hopefuls Mo Farah, Nick McCormick and Chris Ellis, the 23-year-old is eager to qualify for the Beijing Olympics as well as the World Indoors in Valencia: "I know I've got to improve my PB significantly and be running around 3.36 minutes - I'm under no illusion it's a huge goal. To make the Olympics would be a huge thrill and my ultimate dream but I don't want to just make the team - I want to perform in Beijing and justify my selection.

"That experience would be fantastic and give me loads to build on for London in 2012, which remains my ultimate goal."

Rugby player-turned-runner Jimmy Watkins is another highlight of the Sunday international. The Welsh indoor record holder over 800m will be pitted against Graeme Oudney, who was winner of the Scottish District Indoor Championships earlier this month.

The in-form Chris Gowell will also make an appearance on his return from his midweek European outings. Watkins finished sixth in Moscow's World Indoor Championships in 2006.

Wales' senior men are captained by Debo Ademuyewo who seized 400m gold at the Welsh Senior Open indoor Championships last weekend.

Ademuyewo - the former training mate of Beijing hopeful Newport's Christian Malcolm - must conquer Edinburgh's Scott Hughson if he is to take the podium top spot as well as the fast improving Irishman Nick Hogan who is fresh from taking a new personal best at last weekend's Irish Championships.

The trio will be joined by 800m specialist Paul Bradshaw who will be wearing the colours of UWIC.

The men's 60m will see Wales' Bradley Williams who will be aiming to make amends for the Welsh Open result. Pipped to the finish line by UWIC's Ben Simons, he was forced to take second place and will be determined to turn the tables this time around.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Chris Baillie of Scotland is the clear favourite for the 60m hurdles.

Ranked second in the UK rankings behind fellow countryman Allan Scott, Baillie will be gunning for gold over Carmarthen's Steven Boyles who claimed victory at the Welsh Senior Indoor Open Championships last weekend.

Baillie recently relocated from Scotland to Cardiff to train under Benke Blomkvist who has been appointed as Performance Coach for Welsh Athletics.

Clearly not resting on his laurels after setting a new meeting best performance at the Welsh Senior Open Indoors last weekend, triple jumper Gary White is gunning for the All-Comers record on Sunday.

The European Under-23 Champion will be representing UWIC and is competing in Slovakia this week which he hopes will help him jump further.

The women's team is captained by Carmarthen Harrier Heather Jones who won gold in the 60m hurdles at the Welsh Senior Open Indoor Championships. She is joined on the Welsh team by two other gold medallists from last weekend - Gemma Jones over 800m and Melanie Stephenson over 200m.

Scotland's Susan Scott is looking to guide her team to another Celtic Cup victory and will line up in the 800m.

But it is the long jump that is set to steal the show in the women's events with Ireland's 20-year-old Kelly Proper in sparkling form.

Having broken the Irish record twice in the last few weeks, the mark is now standing at 6.28m.

She is joined by Scotland's record holder Gillian Cooke who has a best of 6.33m. With the all comers record set at 6.33m, it is very possible that this will be overtaken.