Australian government urges sports to lift governance standards or risk losing funding
Swimming is among the seven sports that have been urged to improve its governance standards. Photo: Asten/Flickr
18.03.2013
By Play the GameAthletics, swimming, cycling, rowing, sailing, hockey and basketball, which all receive at least $5 million a year in public funding, were told by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) today that if they do not improve the way they are run within a year they risk losing up to 20 per cent of their funding.
The chairman of the Commission, John Wylie, said governance shortcomings in two of the most troubled sports, cycling and swimming, were identified "as central reasons for failures in the competitive, business or ethical standards in those sports", writes the Daily Telegraph.
"While good governance does not guarantee success, its absence almost certainly guarantees failure."
In a letter to the presidents of the seven sports, the ASC argued that the public has a right to expect that the sports receiving significant taxpayer funding are well run.
The letter listed seven principles that needed further attention, including complete transparency in how they spend public money and improving the gender balance in their administrations, writes the Daily Telegraph.
SOURCE: The Daily Telegraph