BOA admit concerns at SnowsportGB's funding meltdown

BRITISH Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt has insisted he will do all he can to ensure he takes a full-strength team to next month's Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

CONCERN: BOA chief executive Andy Hunt is monitoring SnowsportGB's cash problems ahead of next month's Winter Olympics (Getty Images)

The participation of British alpine, nordic and cross-country skiers, plus snowboarders, is in doubt following news that their national governing body, SnowsportGB, is on the verge of administration.

They will hold an emergency board meeting today but they reportedly require an injection of £200,000 by the end of the month to avoid administration.

To compete in Vancouver, all competitors must be registered to a national association, which in turn is recognised by the respective international federation.

Among the options Hunt and his team are investigating is whether they can form a new British ski federation overnight to satisfy Olympic rules.

However, the long-term picture - when the Olympic flame is extinguished - must be a major concern for those in the sport, including 20 full-time athletes at World and Europa Cup level and an additional 15-20 supporting coaches and officials.

"We are fully aware of the situation and have been briefed on the steps being taken by Snowsport GB to remedy the financial shortfall," said Hunt, who is set to act as the chef de mission for the British team in Vancouver.

"The BOA's absolute priority is to do everything possible to ensure that the athletes are able to compete in the Vancouver Games as members of Team GB.  

"We have developed a contingency plan and, should it become necessary to do so, will submit it to our Board for consideration.

"We are in communication with the relevant team leaders and officials to reassure them that we are monitoring the situation closely and are doing everything we can to support them."

Mike Whittingham, the executive director of Scottish Institute of Sport, is confident the BOA will find a way to circumnavigate the crisis, although worries over funding are hardly ideal preparation for the team, expected to be 15 strong, that will compete in the skiing and snowboarding events in Whistler.

“Everyone fears the worst, but we have been assured by the BOA that behind the scenes they have protected the athletes,” he told The Herald. 

“All the Alpine athletes nominated and selected will continue to be looked after all the way through to Vancouver.

“We saw this coming a long while back, which is why we directly funded coaches and athletes and have not gone through the British governing body.”

However, SnowsportGB's hopes of a government bail-out, after their banker, the Royal Bank of Scotland, withdrew their £30,000 overdraft facility, have hit an immediate buffer.

"Governing bodies are independent of Government and with that independence comes responsibility for managing their own finances," said a spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

"It would send out entirely the wrong message about the need for good governance across sport if Government intervened with public money every time a governing body was in financial difficulties."