Women's hockey among trio left off Sparc's Christmas list

Women's hockey, women's basketball and badminton have been dropped from Sparc's funding list for 2009. Photo / Getty Images

Women's hockey, women's basketball and badminton are the biggest losers as national sports funding agency Sparc today dished out $4.8 million to 18 sports for next year.

The three codes which received a total of $1 million in 2008 (women's hockey $400,00, women's basketball $350,000 and badminton $250,000) have dropped off Sparc's Christmas list.

Women's soccer is the biggest beneficiary after impressing at the 2007 World Cup, the Beijing Olympics, under-17 and under-20 World Cups.

It gets a $300,000 investment for 2009 as part of a $725,000 investment through to 2012.

The contestable investment package will be followed by a further investment announcement in February for the nine "targeted" sports - athletics, bike, netball, cricket, rowing, rugby, sailing, swimming and triathlon.

Sparc high performance manager Martin Toomey said the investments are based on its high performance strategy which targets sports with the best prospects of international success at Olympics, world championships and Paralympics.

"The funding reflects performance. Sports which have delivered and have a clear, realistic plan to be successful in the future have gained support.

"The Beijing Olympics confirmed the high performance strategy is working and the approach New Zealand must take if it wants to remain competitive in international sport," Toomey said.

There is continued multi-year support for Paralympics, winter sports, bowls, flat water canoeing and men's hockey, reflecting good performances at the elite level and potential for future achievement.

Sports such as archery, gymsports, beach volleyball and wrestling got "tailored applications" for smaller investments targeting specific athletes with a realistic chance of international success.

Toomey acknowledged some sports will be disappointed at not receiving support or gaining less than they had applied for, but the rationale for the investments has been clear cut.

"We've had to make some tough calls, but Sparc believes they are the right ones. The criteria is known and understood by the various sports organisations," Toomey said.

"Some sports or teams have missed out under the high performance contestable funding criteria due to recent performances at the elite level."

However, Sparc would continue to work with these sports organisations through avenues outside of the contestable funding programme.

"It is important to remember Sparc will continue to provide support and investment to these organisations," Toomey said.

Overall, Sparc will invest in excess of $32 million in high performance sport in 2008/09, including Prime Minister's Scholarships, performance enhancement grants and New Zealand Academy of Sport performance services.

The other sports getting funding for next year after receiving none this year are archery ($25,000), beach volleyball ($50,000), gymsports ($25,000), tennis ($50,000) and wrestling ($20,000).

Men's hockey gets the largest increase, from $400,000 to $700,000, while other such as men's basketball, flat water canoeing, and winter sports get increases from $50,000 to $100,000.

- NZPA