Tokyo 2020: Team GB Aspiration Fund keeps developing sports treading water, for now

EN GARDE: Will a lack of funding keep British fencers out of Tokyo 2020?
(British Fencing)

By Steven Oldham

On the face of it, the UK Government's £3m Tokyo 2020 Aspiration Fund for non-UK Sport funded British teams can only be seen as a good thing. 

Grants of up to £500,000 should not be readily dismissed by sports currently receiving nothing from the public purse, and one off-investments of this size are astronomical for developing sports like wheelchair rugby, and the new to the Olympics karate and surfing.

However, given that almost half the current cycle is over, and the Games less than two years away, the timing of last week's announcement is a little strange. 

Most sports, predictably, have reacted positively. British Fencing, Badminton England and Skateboard England are among the governing bodies preparing bids.

British Handball however, pointed out that qualification in their sport is underway and the decision to issue this funding was made far too late with both men's and women's teams already eliminated. A lack of funding since being axed from the ruthless World Class Programme after London 2012 was also mentioned, stating it was unrealistic to expect a vast improvement in the short time between now and the Games in any case.

Airing this negativity publicly may backfire in the long run for them. They could still apply for the money for the community and health sides of their sport, and secure a decent amount to improve their teams and facilities ahead of the 2024 Games. Whether they do remains to be seen.

The cap of £3million also leads to the very real possibility of a sport/s submitting a bid and still being refused money. The five new sports joining the Games in 2020 bring the number of unfunded Olympic sports in Team GB to 19.

UK Sport's medal-hungry strategy of financing the most successful sports makes sense when looking at the results table, but at the same time leaves developing sports well behind in glory, exposure and legacy. It's a Catch-22 situation for these sports, success brings funding, but with no funding, rarely comes success.

This is why despite this money being opened up to these sports, realistically it's a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed to make them regularly competitive. If a sport secures the full £500,000 backing on offer, that's still a fraction of what Team GB's modern pentathletes (£6.65m) were afforded for the Tokyo cycle, who failed to get among the medals in Rio.

Funding will be given not only on potential sporting improvement, but the impact sports can have on their communities, increasing participation and the benefits to both physical and mental health. 

These criteria are met by most sports, but particularly team games such as basketball and volleyball. Basketball has huge participation numbers anyway, especially among the younger members of society the tagline 'Inspire A Generation' was made for. 

It's no secret British Basketball have had financial issues, needing a bailout from UK Sport this year to ensure the men's team could complete World Cup qualifiers, ultimately unsuccessfully. Having the real possibility of having to disband their teams lingering over their heads cannot be conducive to good performances on court.

Decisions on funding being granted are expected in December, and I feel every one of these marginalised sports needs to apply. Regardless of their realistic hopes of making 2020, the funding could help massively improve existing facilities and attract further investment down the line. 

This can only benefit sports needing to attract new members, while also improving performance. Not applying now will presumably not be viewed kindly in the eyes of UK Sport and with five new sports vying for money, and decisions to be made following the public consultation over the 2024 cycle, now is the time they need to be proactive.

Tokyo 2020: UK government Aspiration Fund met with mixed response by unfunded sports

 

MEDALS: Langridge and Ellis' bronze didn't save badminton funding
(Team GB photo)

By Steven Oldham

Team GB sporting bodies reacted in a variety of ways to last week's announcement of a £3m government-funded 'Aspiration Fund' for Tokyo 2020's Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Announced by Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, the fund is open to applications from sports not currently backed by UK Sport's World Class Programme, which is heavily weighted towards teams with the most medal potential.

Perhaps the most controversial exclusion from the current funding cycle was badminton, which lost all funding despite delivering a bronze medal in the men's doubles through Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis at Rio 2016.

Badminton England Chief Executive, Adrian Christy, said: "This is fantastic news for those sports that were left unfunded following the Tokyo 2020 investment decisions." 
"It is a really strong indication that, even when funds are tight, every sport does matter and we now look forward to developing a compelling application to UK Sport to support our players, maximising our qualification chances for 2020."

Funding will be capped at £500,000 for team sports and £275,000 for individual events, with the possibility of applying sports still missing out. 

Badminton, and Great Britain's archers, earnt a partial reprieve in March with the announcement of UK Sport's 'Medal Support Programme' which saw some athletes provided with funding. 

However, not all reaction is positive. Despite acknowledging any extra funding is welcome, the timing of the announcement has come too late for some sports. 

British Handball Chairman Paul Bray said: “While we welcome any new money for unfunded sports, as far as handball is concerned this announcement comes much too late. We will continue to lobby UK Sport to take a fairer long-term approach to funding and look forward to the outcome of the recent consultation”

British Handball also pointed to the timing of the announcement with qualification for Tokyo already underway, and the lack of funding they have received since being cut adrift after the London 2012 cycle. 

As well as a plan to improve sporting prowess, sports must demonstrate their ability to inspire greater participation and benefit local communities.

This bodes well for basketball, which despite high participation numbers, particularly among the young generation, receives no funding. British Basketball received a one-off £195,000 payment earlier this year from UK Sport; in order for them to fulfil World Cup qualifying fixtures amid ongoing concerns about the squad's financial viability. 

Other likely applicants include wheelchair rugby, fencing and weightlifting. The sports making their Olympic debut in Tokyo - including skateboarding, climbing and surfing - are also eligible to apply.

More reading: 

Olympics: Five cult heroes from Rio 2016

Tokyo 2020: UK Sport axe badminton funding despite first Olympic medal in 12 years

Olympics: How will Agenda 2020 change the future of the Games?

Tokyo 2020: UK Sport axe badminton funding despite first Olympic medal in 12 years

 

Bronze winnners Chris Langridge & Marcus Ellis (The Telegraph)

 By Steven Oldham 

A first Olympic medal in 12 years in Rio wasn't sufficient enough for Team GB's elite badminton players as UK Sport today surprisingly withdrew all financial support for the Tokyo 2020 cycle.

The controversial decision to cut badminton's comparatively modest £5.7m funding (in contrast, GB's rowers gained £32.6m towards Rio) leaves the team's top players looking at uncertain futures leading to the next Olympiad. 

Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis became the country's first badminton players to secure an Olympic medal in over a decade by winning bronze in the men's doubles in Rio. 

UK Sport had only set the team a target of 0-1 medals at this Games, and their statement today gave no reason as to why badminton funding was removed regardless of Langridge and Ellis' success. 

Archery, fencing, weightlifting and wheelchair rugby also became victims of UK Sport's successful but ruthless policy which rewards sports with 'podium potential' only.  

The policy definitely gets results, but at what cost?  The much-discussed legacy of London 2012 in Great Britain will again be debated as the list of non-funded sports grows ever longer. 

Team sports including handball, basketball and synchronised swimming were jettisoned as soon as London was over. The 'Inspire a Generation' tagline will be a failure if children see no progression to the top in these sports.  Basketball is one of the country's most popular sports by participation but the national team will only go so far without solid financial backing.

In contrast, 42% of UK Sport funding now goes to just 4 sports - rowing, athletics, sailing and cycling.

Any potential funding for the new sports to the Olympic programme - including karate, surfing and sports climbing - will be decided at a later date. 

WINNERS AND LOSERS:

Rowing continues to be the best funded Olympic sport, at £32.1m over the next four years. This is down roughly £500,000 on the Rio cycle. Many sports take a small hit as overall funding is reduced by £9m to £265m. 

Britain's shooters are the big winners in this round of funding, with their figures bucking the trend, leaping to £7m from £3.9m. Two bronze medals in Rio could be considered a lesser haul than Peter Wilson's solitary gold medal from London 2012. 

Hockey and gymnastics both receive an extra £2m, with the gold-medal winning exploits of the women's hockey team and double-champion Max Whitlock.

British Cycling, however, has lost over £4m despite dominating once again in Rio, a Games in which Laura Kenny became the most successful British female Olympian of all time.

In the Paralympics, the loss of wheelchair rugby funding is compounded by rises for the majority of other disability sports, including an eye-catching 342% increase in wheelchair fencing funding to £668,000. Para-athletics takes over from swimming as the most funded sport with £11.8m to swimming's £11m.

MORE READING:

Badminton's Olympic legacy boosted by creation of NBL

Olympics: Five cult heroes from Rio 2016 

"Legacy? What legacy?" ask British basketballers, weightlifters and water polo players as UK Sport funding withdrawn

Glasgow 2014: DAY 11: Australia finish with a flourish, England and Wales take road race gold medals as Commonwealth Games come to a close



Australia's men have won every Commonwealth hockey tournament

By Steven Oldham MISS DAY 10 HIGHLIGHTS? CLICK HERE

Australia enjoyed a successful as the Commonwealth Games came to a close today, but still had to settle for second on the medals table.

The team from Down Under completed a double in hockey, with their men's team beating India 4-0 in the final, a day after their women beat England.

Their victory ensured Australia's 100% record in men's hockey gold is maintained - they have won every Commonwealth tournament since the sport was added to the programme in 1998.

They also regained the netball title from reigning champions New Zealand, winning 58-40.  Australia now have bragging rights in this sport too, having won three gold medals - one more than great rivals New Zealand.

They also picked up the final with David Palmer and Cameron Pilley picking up the men's doubles in squash, with Palmer picking up double gold, having won the mixed doubles with Rachael Grinham, with both victors  defeating teams from England.

Joy for husband and wife Chris & Gabby Adcock (Guardian Sport)

 

England sealed their place on top of the medal table by taking two more gold medals on the final day of action.

Husband and wife badminton players Chris and Gabby Adcock won an all English final in the mixed doubles, beating team-mates Chris Langridge and Heather Oliver 2-0. They became the first married pair to win the title and add Commonwealth gold to the national title they won earlier this year.

In this morning's first action, Lizzie Armitstead took the first gold of the day in the women's road race from team-mate Emma Pooley. The 25-year-old won silver in both the Delhi Games and London 2012 so this becomes her biggest achievement on the road.

Wales' Geraint Thomas wins road race (Team Sky)

Wales celebrated the final day with gold in the men's road race for Geraint Thomas, the country's fifth of the Games as they finished 13th on the medal table - the same position as in Delhi four years ago, but with two more gold medals.

Thomas - who also won bronze in the time trial - survived late drama with a puncture with 6km left to run to take gold ahead of New Zealand's Jack Bauer and Simon Thwaites of England.

Malaysia's women's double winners (Starsport)

Malaysia won both doubles titles in badminton to take home half of the six gold medals available in the sport, but even this impressive performance failed to match their success in Delhi.

Tan Wee Kiong and Goh Wei Shem won the men's competition with Vivian Hoo Kah Mun and Woon Khe Wei taking the women's doubles.

Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland wins silver

Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour lost to Canada's Michelle Li but still made history by being the first woman from her country to make a Commonwealth badminton final.

She was easily beaten in the end, but had the honour of picking up her country's 53rd and final medal of a record breaking Games as they finished in fourth in the medals table.

Glasgow 2014: DAY 5: Scotland guarantee best ever Games with bowls success, Jamaica take athletics gold, Malaysia enjoy best day

Scotland's history makers Alex Marshall and Paul Foster (@_dpaj)

MISSED DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS? CLICK HERE

By Steven Oldham 

It was only a matter of time before Scotland beat their eleven gold medals from Melbourne 2006 given their successful start to Glasgow 2014, and, with six days left, they achieved this today with victory in bowls as Alex Marshall and Paul Foster won the men's pairs.

The pair romped to an easy 20-3 victory over Malaysia and in doing so secured their place in Scottish folklore as the athletes who confirmed a historic best for the country.

Libby Clegg's victory in the T12 100m in para-sport athletics was another milestone matched, as Scotland now have 33 medals from this Games - matching their best ever total haul from a single Commonwealths.

Nicol David playing England's Laura Massaro (@starsport_my)

Malaysia enjoyed their best day of Glasgow 2014 so far, picking up gold in both squash and badminton.

World number one Nicol David beat English challenger Laura Massaro to take the women's squash event while they again outperformed the English in the mixed team badminton event, meaning both David and the badminton team retain the titles they won in Delhi four years ago.

Kemar Bailey Cole wins the 100m ahead of Adam Gemili (@sportsnet)

Jamiacan gold medals are like buses; you wait ages for one then two turn up at once.

Predictably, both came in athletics - Kemar Bailey-Cole won the 100m, and O'Dayne Richards took the shot put.

Veronica Campbell-Brown had to settle for silver in the 100m sprint, with team-mate Kerron Stewart third. Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare won the race.

Welsh swimmer Jazz Carlin (Getty Images)



Swimmer Jazz Carlin became the first women in 40 years to win a Commonwealth event for Wales as she took the 800m freestyle.

She took her first Games title ahead of New Zealand's Lauren Boyle and Brittany Maclean and now has Commonwealth gold, silver and bronze.

This was Wales' third gold this Games  in three different sports - swimming, judo and rhythmic gymnastics.

English discus thrower Dan Greaves (@spogo)

England had another successful day with titles in the pool, squash and athletics.

Swimmer Ollie Hynd completed the grand slam and added Commonwealth gold to his collection, which already includes Paralympic, European and world titles, by winning the SM8 200m medley. 18-year-old Sophie Taylor took the 100m breaststroke final, having won her semi final and been the fastest in the heats. 

Discus thrower Dan Greaves secured his country's first gold medal in athletics by winning the F42/44 final ahead of Wales' Aled Davies and Nigeria's Richard Okigbazi.

Nick Matthew retained his Delhi 2010 title by winning an all-English final in the men's squash against team-mate James Willstrop. Peter Barker's bronze meant the English completed a clean sweep of the podium, with Laura Massaro also winning silver.

CLICK HERE FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES HOMEPAGE

DAY 5 DIGEST IN 60 SECONDS...

• Northern Ireland edged closer to the top prize by picking up silver in the men's triples bowls competition
• Cameroon won their first gold medal of the Games, and first since the 2002 Games, as weightlifter Marie Fegue takes victory in the 69kg weight class.
• Singapore continued their dominance in table tennis, adding the men's team event to the women's title they took on day 4
• Medal table leaders Australia continue to add to their medal tally, winning gold in shooting and swimming
• Canada's Sultana Frizzell retained her hammer title from Delhi 2010 and beat her own Games record in the process

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Badminton

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

Badminton is a long-standing sport at the Commonwealths having debuted in Kingston, Jamaica back in 1966.

The sport is highly popular all over the world and there an estimated 200 million players across the planet be it professional, at school or on a Tuesday night at the local leisure centre.

Also an Olympic sports since 1992, six medal events will be contested in Glasgow - men's and women's singles, and men's, women's and mixed doubles and a mixed team event.

WHEN ?

Badminton is another sport that spans the whole eleven days of competition. From July 24-28, the mixed team event takes the stage. The singles and doubles competitions running from July 29-August 3, with all five finals on the last day.

WHERE?

All badminton tournaments are taking place at the Emirates Arena across six purpose-built courts.

WHO?

The traditional heavyweights in Commonwealth competition are England and Malaysia, and these two nations lie comfortably ahead of the rest on the all time medals table.

Malaysia have been the dominant force over recent Games, claiming six of the last ten available gold medals across both singles and doubles. However, this year they have been dealt with a blow with four-time Commonwealth champion Lee Chong Wei ruled out by injury. He is the country's most successful Olympian of all time and will be missed.

Seven-time and reigning national champion Rajiv Ouseph headlines the English team this year, alongside husband and wife mixed doubles pairing Chris and Gabby Adcock.

India emerged as a contender in their home Games in 2010, winning both the women's singles and doubles events and taking silver in the team event. Will they continue to grow as an international force in Glasgow or did they simply maximise on home advantage four years ago?

Glasgow-born Imogen Bankier is the poster girl for badminton in her home country  - she has won silver at the world championships and is also a European championship bronze medallist, both in mixed doubles. She will be looking to improve on her quarter final appearance in Delhi four years ago with partner Robert Blair.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Players take positions on opposite sides of the net, and use racquets to hit shuttlecocks over the net.
• Like other racquet sports, points are scored when the opponent hits the shuttlecock out of play or cannot return your shot - with the shuttlecock landing on their half of the net. Consecutive shots between players are called rallies.
• Matches are split into three games - the first player or team to score 21 points wins the game. If scores are tied at 20-20, a two points gap is needed to claim victory (23-21 for example)
• Outside the Commonwealth, the best nations include China, South Korea and Denmark. The Chinese are the most successful badminton nation.  

CAN I STILL BUY TICKETS?


Yes. Click here.



Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei will miss out on Glasgow 2014
due to injury (allenglandbadminton.com)



3,000 serving Armed Forces workers to benefit from Glasgow 2014's Tickets for Troops scheme

By Steven Oldham

Men and women serving in the UK's Armed Forces are to be offered free tickets for various events at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The scheme - billed as 'Tickets for Troops' - will see 3,000 tickets on offer to serving Forces personnel to watch the boxing, badminton, powerlifting, squash and rugby sevens events.

Tickets for Troops forms part of a wider goodwill initiative between Glasgow 2014 and event partners to make the Games accessible to as many people as possible.

20,000 tickets are now to be given away, with a quarter of those going to disadvantaged young people who will experience a day out at the Games. Those creating a lasting legacy from the Games will also be rewarded.

Distribution of the tickets will be handled by charity Tickets for Troops, which looks to reward servicemen and women's hard work and time spent away from their loved ones.

Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman, Michael Cavanagh, said:

“The ticketing goodwill initiative is a great programme and fantastic way to ensure that tickets are going to the most deserving people in our communities including our servicemen and women and to allow them to enjoy the Games.”

It's a timely announcement, with Armed Forces Day just two days away.  

Badminton's Olympic legacy boosted by creation of NBL

By Steven Oldham

Badminton England's plans for the sport's first UK national league competition is a positive way of sealing a post London 2012 legacy.

The first National Badminton League (NBL) season is due to begin in October and will comprise six franchises - albeit all from England. 

The inaugural line up for the first season then sees university teams from Birmingham, Derby, Loughborough, Nottingham and Surrey compete with a Milton Keynes entry.
 
This promising new development for the sport in the UK, but the lack of geographical spread in the teams may limit popularity in the short term.  With no teams from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland initially, (the league is open to expansion in future seasons) it may be left to top players such as Imogen Bankier to bring in interest outside the franchise boundaries.



The first NBL starts in October

A new, shorter format - Twenty20 style - will be used for the competition with matches both live on Sky Sports and streamed online globally.

While detailed coverage information is not yet confirmed, a Sky deal has good and bad points.  The extra money from a satellite deal is always a bonus for a minority sport, but the lack of terrestrial presence - even on the red button - can not be offset by streaming. 

Team GB Olympians and the cream of Team England and imported talent will be on show, and the chance to see future stars is made possible with the mandatory inclusion of two players under 21 in each eight person team.  University players may also be used.

The decision to box off two slots in every team for young talent is a great way of attaining a working legacy in badminton following London 2012, creating stars of the future and inspiring young talent to pick up their shuttlecocks.

Initial reaction to the NBL's creation has been positive and if successful, it may become a blueprint for other sports to follow in future years.

Another positive decision is to implement a spending cap so franchises remain viable in the long term.  This should create a more level playing field with teams unable to spend all their funds on one marquee signing after another.

Attention will now turn to June's player auction, with teams able to bid for their desired players, while bearing in mind the spending cap.  Providing the action is exciting and the league does indeed expand outside it's current narrow catchment area, the NBL can only do good for the future of badminton in the UK.

More Olympic sports content:

"Legacy? What legacy?" ask British basketballers, weightlifters and water polo players as UK Sport funding withdrawn

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Wheelchair fencing, football and goalball all lose funding despite big increase for other Paralympic sports