Snowboarders Get Lift Over Bowlers

Extreme sports such as snowboarding and skydiving are to be funded by Sport England at the cost of traditional sports such as bowls as part of a financial review being carried out by the organisation because of a dramatic decrease in the amount of lottery money it receives.

Sport England is to make a formal announcement on funding for sports bodies at the end of this month but it is widely anticipated that nearly all will face major cutbacks and that this could affect their preparations for next year's Olympics and other major events.

It also believes new extreme sports that are more popular with younger people should receive lottery funding and that money should be diverted from sports decreasing in popularity or considered obscure. In addition to mainstream sports Sport England funds tug of war, dance and real tennis.

Sport England has been severely hit by a fall in the lottery money it receives from a peak of £273m per year in 1996 to around £160m for the current year. At present Sport England funds around 60 different sports bodies. Roger Draper, its chief executive, said: "There is still significant investment going into sport but our job now is to make sure that there is no wastage or duplication. We are going to start looking at sport in a business-like fashion and make sure we get results at the end of the day.

"We have to make sure that there is a good return on every pound that we invest. Those sports that are not delivering growth and success could be in trouble."

Elite athletes will not be affected by the proposed cutbacks but a number of sports bodies warned yesterday that many minor sports and athletes who take part in major events such as the Olympic Games could face problems. A spokesman for the Amateur Boxing Association said: "We don't know how much our funding will be reduced by but obviously we are very concerned. A number of boxers start off at small clubs and go on to do very well in major competitions and obviously we need funding to help them through.

"We are waiting for the full details on our funding and will have to look at other ways of making up the shortfall. There is already a problem with investment at the amateur boxing level and any further cutbacks will only make the situation worse."

A spokesman for the Central Council for Physical Recreation, the umbrella body that represents sports bodies, called on the government to compensate e sports: "If sports bodies are going to have their funding cut by Sport England, we have to find other ways of making up the shortfall.

"There are already serious concerns about the funding of sport and we cannot afford to have any more cutbacks. If the lottery money has fallen, then it is only right that the government makes up this money for sport."

Sport England will also reveal details of how it plans to attract more private finance through commercial deals and sponsorship.

A spokesman for the Department of Media, Culture and Sport claimed that, while Sport England may have less lottery money than before, there was still a high level of investment in sport.