In 1994 when the National Lottery arrived on our TV screens the game quite literally changed. Thanks to the British public loving a flutter, UK Sport was born, whose sole purpose was to distribute money from the National Lottery into funding for British sport. UK Sport then distributed over a four-year period in excess of 540 million pounds into British sport and development programmes.
The financing of British sport through gambling is a somewhat questionable appropriation of funds, but if it works don’t knock it. UK sport is tasked with the thankless responsibility of setting the targets for each sport where the brutal simplicity of the model is clear, if you want more funding you must win medals. If you don’t win the projected amount of medals your funding will be cut and moved to another sport. This message is sent loud and clear to the governing body of each sport.
The same message is sent to the athletes, who can draw a wage from UK Sport of up to £28,000 per year. The days of the Olympics being an amateur sport are long gone. The athletes you have watched this August are competing for the same glory as ever, to be an Olympic Champion. What I didn’t realise is that they are also competing for the sustained funding for the future athletes in their sport. Now that is pressure.
What has been interesting is the reactions of the golfers who competed in Rio. Sergio Garcia saying that being part of the Olympics is the best decision he has ever made. Justin Rose when interviewed, around the Olympic pool, gushed that to be part of such an occasion was an honour, to have the opportunity to add to the medal tally was so important for him.
The reason for this is that when a player turns professional, in golf, he/she doesn’t get the opportunity to represent their country. Apart from the Ryder and Solheim Cups they ply their trades as individuals.
This is in stark contrast to their childhood days where representing their country and competing against the other Home Nations and further afield was really the pinnacle of an amateur’s career. It showed that they had reached the top echelon within their country and were well on track to the Professional ranks. It just goes to show how sometimes the solitary nature of the game leaves some players feeling as if they want to be part of something bigger, a larger collective of individuals, a team.
So when Rose hit that sublime pitch shot into the last hole to close out Stenson, you could see that it meant more than just a tournament win. He pounded his chest and showed the rest of his teammates that he did it for them and his country. Watching the Union Jack being raised to the National Anthem must have been a career highlight. A stand out moment.
The other stand out fact is that there is no prize money on offer for any athletes. Something which Sir Steve Redgrave cheerfully remarked when asked by Sir Matthew Pinsent what he thought about the American’s ‘Dream Team’ inclusion into the Barcelona Olympics, “They’re competing for the same thing as us.” No more and no less.
The irony in this is that golf receives no funding from UK Sport, a point which has not gone unnoticed by England Golf whose funds have been significantly slashed, not by underperformance, but by the dwindling memberships across the country. You see when you pay your annual membership subscription, a levy of around six pounds of that money is sent up the chain to the governing body, England Golf. Membership subscriptions have fallen dramatically over the past ten years and the Home Nation governing bodies are looking at the slippery slope of declining funds to grow the game and provide tournaments for the elite players.
Having had a chat with England Golf yesterday afternoon, there doesn’t seem to be much hope of UK Sport funnelling a couple of million pounds to help them with growing the game. However, this shouldn’t take away from what was a great achievement for Justin Rose.
Looking to the Ryder Cup, the Americans can’t help to have noticed that a favourite pairing of Rose and Stenson are looking in particularly good form. Only one month to go now!!