Boa Wants Public To Donate To Struggling Sports

As the new four-year Olympic funding cycle begins, the British Olympic Association is looking at attaining extra funding for struggling sports through various outlets, including a possible fundraising idea that would ask the public to make a online donation of £20.12 each.

The beginning of the new four-year budget means the eight GB sports deemed least likely to produce medals in 2012 will see 75% of their budgets cut, after the government announced it would not use public funds to cover the £50m deficit caused by a lack of private sector sponsorship.

All of the eight sports chose to receive their entire Olympic budget upfront – an option UK Sport offered in an effort to allow these struggling sports to continue training – with hopes that private funding will become available as 2012 comes closer.

In another venture to save Team GB’s poorest sports, the BOA joined forces with other 2012 stakeholders to raise funds through a new ‘Team 2012’ sponsorship programme.  

The scheme would seek online donations of £20.12 from public donors. Hugh Chambers, the BOA’s chief commercial officer, claimed that they are expecting to make a possible extra £10 to £20m from this scheme along with many other programme ideas that are being considered.

The BOA hopes the programme will be as much of a success as the similar fundraising scheme Vancouver 2010 installed called ‘Own the Podium’, which raised $5m for Canada’s Winter Olympic team through individual pledges of $20.10.

This idea, however, can’t ease the immediate concern of the eight Olympic sports bearing the brunt of the funding cuts, as it will not be initiated until the Games are closer.

These sports – namely fencing, handball, volleyball, table tennis, water polo, weightlifting, wrestling and, with the most cuts, shooting – will still feel the budget decreases that have already been allocated starting this week.