By now you will have heard that water polo has been allocated £1.45m to fund the sport’s home Olympic programme for 2012.  Therefore the news is as bad as anticipated, although UK Sport will allow the sports affected to front load the funding to help keep programmes in place until such time as individual sports pass the performance criteria (2011), or other funding becomes available.

The Chief Executive of the ASA, David Sparkes, has stated that he “will leave no stone unturned” in the search for additional funding and if forced to choose between the men’s and women’s programme will do so with a “heavy heart”.

 

We note that UK Sport have secured an additional £1.8m from Sports Aid’s TASS scheme to fund promising athletes from the twelve sports, however we are uncertain whether this applies to athletes over the age of 18.

 

Both the men and women are due to compete in the European B’s during 2009 and it is imperative that squads are kept in place and funded to meet these commitments if they are to have any chance of demonstrating progress towards the 2011 performance review.

 

The water polo community will find it unacceptable to sacrifice one squad in favour of another when the total funding shortfall can be met (albeit with difficulty) by our own Governing Body.  There has never been a more important time for British Swimming to demonstrate its commitment to water polo and its willingness to promote the sport.  A home Olympics will not come around again in our lifetime so it is difficult to imagine a more critical moment.

 

As Friends of Water Polo we do not have access to any financial figures, yet if it is possible to muddle through with one programme until 2012 with £1.45m then it seems logical that £3m will allow two squads to remain in place even if international competition is limited.  Thus approximately £1.5m over 4 years does not appear to be an enormous amount for British Swimming to fund.  Although ring fenced for other purposes British Swimming will be getting £65m either from UK Sport or Sport England, that is without all the other revenue streams at the ASA’s disposal.

 

At the moment our sport feels abandoned.  Our sports men and women have been encouraged to live away from home, many since the age of 16 and have made sacrifices in order to follow their dream.  They have followed a pathway which supposedly leads to the London Olympics.  These athletes are aware that this is the best it has ever been in terms of national programmes and funding yet the legacy for water polo looks like being closed until further notice.

 

It is fundamentally important for British Swimming to give the sport time for further funding to be raised by all interested parties.  As the water polo community we all have a role to play in this and now is the time for fundraising initiatives to be actioned.  In addition we will be advising shortly on how donations can be made to help keep the programmes in place.

 

Now is the time for our Governing Body not just to govern but to give the necessary financial support and leadership!

 

Have your say and send your comments to:

Email :  postmaster@friendsofwaterpolo.co.uk