Footballer David Beckham and Prime Minister Tony Blair joined forces to push London's Olympic bid as sports stars and royals flocked to Singapore on the last day of the race to host the 2012 Games.

The Real Madrid star, who grew up in Leytonstone near the proposed Olympic complex in the East End, said a London Games would "inspire children".

"To give our children the chance to see an Olympics in our own country is a special thing - that's why I believe we should get it."

Mr Beckham changed plans to celebrate the sixth anniversary of his wedding to Victoria yesterday to attend the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) vote for the 2012 host city.

The decision will be announced tomorrow at 12.46pm BST after the five contenders - London, Madrid, Paris, New York and Moscow has each given a final presentation to the IOC.

Other high-profile stars present include England football boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, also backing the London bid, and Mr Beckham's Real Madrid team-mate Raul Gonzales for the Spanish capital.

But they would find it hard to upstage New York's secret weapon: boxing legend Muhammad Ali. The three-time world heavyweight champion won Olympic gold as a light heavyweight called Cassius Clay in Rome in 1960.

Apart from Mr Blair, the political heavyweights in Singapore include French President Jacques Chirac and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.

At a press conference this morning the British Prime Minister promised to appoint a dedicated Olympic Minister if London wins the Games.

Work would start within 24 hours of the announcement, Mr Blair added.

"The spirit of London 2012 will be the best spirit of the Olympic Movement."

This meant "a love of sport, a belief in the ability of sport to bring people together, to educate, to enhance people's lives and a complete determination" to leave a legacy.

"We believe in something that doesn't just last for the few weeks of the Games but lasts for the generation to come," he added.

"That's our passion. That's why we want the Games so much. That's why we believe we can deliver something not just for our own country but for the Olympic Movement."

Mr Blair is due to leave Singapore today to join the G8-summit in Scotland, while Mr Chirac flew in this morning.

But Russia will only play a taped message of its President Vladimir Putin during Moscow's presentation tomorrow.

Britain's Princess Anne, also an IOC member, will lend a Royal sparkle to London's bid. As president of the British Olympic Association she will join the capital's team on the podium during its final talk.

The Spanish delegation, led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, also has a Royal among its ranks in Queen Sofia.

Adding to the glamour, Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg and acclaimed French director Luc Besson will each premiere a film to back their countries' bids. The films will be shown only once during New York and Paris's respective presentations tomorrow.

But amidst all the razzmatazz London has announced that 30 of its 100 allowed delegates in the hall for the final session would be schoolchildren from the East End.

The children, aged between 12 and 18, come from the five London boroughs that would host most of the Olympic events. Between them they speak 22 different languages, ranging from Arabic to Vietnamese.

Amber Charles, the 14-year-old basketball player from Newham who presented London's candidate file to the IOC in Lausanne last year, will join bid leader Lord Sebastian Coe on stage.

"I hope that clearly demonstrates the way we are doing this for people of Amber's age," Lord Coe said. "It's about the athletes of tomorrow, the Olympians of the future."

Today the children played a game of basketball against Mr Beckham, double Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson and wheelchair basketball star Ade Adepitan.

Security was tight during the photo session at the British Club in Singapore.

"It's exciting for these kids," Mr Beckham said. "One day they are playing basketball, football and volleyball in the East End and the next they are playing it in the heat and humidity of Singapore.

"It gives them a taste of what you can aspire to."

Meanwhile bookmakers William Hill has cut London's odds to win the Games by more than half to 7-4 since yesterday morning.

Paris is still the front-runner with 4-9, followed by Madrid (10-1), New York (50-1) and Moscow (50-1).

Three of the last four votes for the Summer Games hosts have been won by candidates that were not seen as the favourites. Atlanta defeated Athens for 1996, Sydney edged out Beijing for 2000 and Athens beat Rome for 2004.