GB Swimming Funds Support Water Polo

UK Sport has confirmed funding figures for all aquatic sports in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games, which saw additional support for water polo with extra £1.45m available through a combination of new investment from the Team 2012 initiative and adjustments to funding awards.

All ‘fully funded’ sports, inclusive of the other aquatic disciplines, face a 1.5% inflationary rise in their funding. Although this has been cut back from an original 3%, British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes has claimed he is confident that prudent management will ensure all the sports remain on target for the 2012 Games.

‘This investment means we now have the funds available to get the job done right. All aquatic sports have clearly made excellent progress this year with impressive results on the international stage and this additional funding will clearly enable us to continue this momentum,’ he said.

Water polo had previously faced uncertainty, but with these new figures, the sport will be able to put in place additional services and support to its athletes through the additional funding, which takes it from 2009 to 2013 to £2.9m.

The water polo programmes will see the men’s team will remain off shore as they continue their preparations, but will be provided with more support as they pursue their dreams. The women’s programme will continue in Manchester but again will be reinvigorated through additional support.

Sparkes continued around the positivity of this announcement: ‘We are currently in discussions with the British Olympic Association in regard to all the Olympic qualifying standards but we now envisage, through this funding, that water polo will be part of the largest aquatics team we’ve ever had at an Olympics as we continue on an upwards trajectory.’