Quick summary:
In the recent announcement by Australian Sports Commission, Olympic funding increased by apprimately $750,000, whereas Paralympic funding was decreased by around $250,000. The ParaRoos soccer team was hit the hardest with a cut of $175,000. Professor Simon Darcy of University of Technology explains the funding rules and its’ broader implications on sport for people with disabilities.
Article excerpt:
On first reading, this decision would seem a heartless outcome for the ParaRoos. To fully understand this outcome, however, we need to examine how federal sport policy determines funding.
The funding rules explained:
Australia’s Winning Edge and the Sports Tally are the strategic planning and analysis documents used for elite sport performance targets and funding. Australia’s Winning Edge 2012-2022 states that it wishes to move Australia’s high-performance sport “from world class to world best” through:
- consistent and sustainable success for Australian athletes and teams on the world stage;
- greater levels of accountability for performance results;
- improved governance structures and contemporary reporting and monitoring of performance;
- engaging, uniting, inspiring and motivating all Australians.
Read full article: