Funding cuts means smaller 2012 British Paralympic team

Posted: Wednesday 3rd December 2008 | 16:05

GREAT BRITAIN may not be able to field a full compliment of athletes at the 2012 Paralympics, following cuts to the British Paralympic Association's funding.

^{DISAPPOINTED: ParalympicGB chief executive Phil Lane fears for 2012 team (Getty Images)}

Britain won 102 medals, including 42 golds, in Beijing - with teenage swimmer Eleanor Simmonds (pictured above) emerging as one of a clutch of stars.

And chief executive Phil Lane, while welcoming some ‘positive elements' in UK Sport's newly announced funding scheme for the next Olympic cycle, still has major concerns.

"We had aspirations of sending a full team to the Games so that the home crowd had something to cheer at every venue," said Lane.

"This would have been important for ticket sales but would also create a legacy of development from the Games.

"However, that may not happen now."

While a number of proven medal-winning sports have seen their funding increased, many are now planning for reign in their ambitious plans for the next four years.

In addition, ParalympicsGB has seen its performance funding cut from £4.3 million to £1.86 million.

"Beijing was our best Games in a world of growing international competition," added Lane.

"We had a winning formula in two parts. Lottery funding to the sports doubled in the lead-up and ParalympicsGB maximised that investment through delivering performance programmes with its disability and multi-sport performance expertise. "That last bit of the equation will now be missing in part."

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/04/2010 - 02:35.

Its an absolute joke why the cuts have been made to the GB paralympics. I find it insulting and sellfish of them to cut it on the disabled. My son Sam who is 15, just got through to the Uk disability school games, he has had praise off many people for his courage and passion for the sport. He loves it to bits but we have difficulty finding the money for it. I'd love to see my son out there at London doing the 1 thing he loves, table tennis. he has won 3/3 tournaments hes been in playing flawless throughout the matches. So i cant imagine the stress for the organisation to think a way through the cuts and get the paralympians in london for the 2012 paralympics, after all that hard work in 2008 and all we get is this? robbing b******s