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world sport news roundup
26 | Touchline issue 23 | April 2016
Who's taking part in what :
Sport
Oct 2012-Oct 2013 Oct 2013-Oct 2014
Change
Swimming
2.93m
2.69m
Decrease
Athletics
2.02m
2.16m
Increase
Cycling
2.00m
2.07m
Increase
Football
1.84m
1.90m
Increase
Golf
751,900
730,300
Decrease
Badminton
500,500
490,200
Decrease
Tennis
406,000
384,200
Decrease
Equestrian
312,700
304,400
Decrease
Bowls
264,300
243,400
Decrease
Squash/racketball 240,700
196,500
Decrease
Rugby union
159,900
178,800
Increase
Cricket
148,300
167,200
Increase
Netball
122,200
148,700
Increase
Boxing
154,800
145,100
Decrease
Basketball
154,700
131,100
Decrease
Source: Sport England’s Active People Survey
Sport funding in the UK is facing a major overhaul in a bid to
reverse recent disappointing participation figures.
Whereas latest figures for Sport Wales, Sport Scotland and
Sport Northern Ireland all show increases in participation levels,
almost 250,000 people have stopped taking part in regular
activity over the past six months in England.
A major shake-up of the way sport is funded across the UK will
now be considered, with money potentially diverted away from
national governing bodies (NGBs).
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said: "Sport has such a positive
impact on people's lives and I want to embed participation into
this nation's DNA.
"I want to make sure that the sports sector gives everybody - no
matter who they are and what their ability - the chance to take
part.
"However, public funding is a privilege not a right and has to go
to the organisations that can make a real difference."
The Minister criticised the UK's "severely outdated" sports
strategy after an alarming decline in the numbers of people
taking part in swimming, the country's most popular sport in
terms of participation, with 144,200 fewer people visiting their
local pool in the last year.
She pledged to "rip up that strategy and start again.”
Sports charities such as Sported, StreetGames, Parkrun, Access
Sport, Street League and Greenhouse could now receive more
of the funding that currently goes through Sport England in
order to fund community sport and encourage participation.
According to Sport England, the percentage of those on the
lowest incomes participating in sport has hit the lowest level
since records began in 2005/06.
And at a time of rising childhood obesity, less school sport and
cuts to local authority leisure budgets, official figures show that
most five to 10-year-olds (59.6%) and 11 to 15-year-olds (42.5%)
say the 2012 Games had "not at all" encouraged them to take
part in sport.
Although 1.4m more people are participating now than when
the bid to host the Games was won in 2005, the struggle to
make the nation more active since 2012 is in stark contrast to
the success Britain has enjoyed in elite sport.
Although controversial for discriminating against less
established sports, the ‘no compromise’ approach of UK Sport
has delivered impressive results with a record medal haul at the
London Games.
For now however, the priority appears to be participation rather
than high-level performance.
UNITED KINGDOM
SPORT FUND ING FAC ING OVERHAUL TO SAVE LONDON 2012 LEGACY