British Swimming announce water polo funding plans

BRITAIN'S top male water polo players will be farmed out to teams across the world in a bid to tune them up for the 2012 Olympics in London.

HOPEFUL: British Swimming believes their plans for water polo could secure a men's team at the 2012 Olympics in London

Water polo saw its funding slashed in January and will receive just £1.45 million from UK Sport in the run up to the next Olympics - a reduction of 75 percent.

It was originally thought the men's team would be scrapped in order to focus on the more successful women's squad.

But British Swimming hope their new approach, similar to the scheme adopted by Britain's handball team, could be invaluable.

However, the women's team will remain together as a squad, based in Manchester.

"It was clearly a major disappointment that we didn't get the funding level we had budgeted for but we have to be positive to achieve our goals," said British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes.

"To that aim we've reassessed our priorities in continuing to maintain both teams at the Olympic Games.
 
"The present level of funding will be tilted towards the women's team but we have been working on a number of innovative solutions to continue to develop the men's team and these are now being implemented.
 
"A lot of good work has gone in to defining our new direction and we're fortunate to have been offered incredible help from the likes of Hungary, Croatia, Romania and Australia to help the men to prepare for the Olympics."