Recession won’t affect athletes, say HP directors

SENIOR Irish sports officials insist preparations for the London Olympics have not been damaged by the economic downturn.

Though Government and Irish Sports Council (ISC) funding have remained relatively untouched since the Beijing Games, sponsorship opportunities have dramatically diminished. Top officials from three aquatic based sports yesterday stressed that they were cutting their cloth to measure when preparing their competitors.

High Performance Directors from rowing, sailing and swimming yesterday put a brave – and united – face on the situation at a press conference in Dublin.

Peter Banks, who heads the swimming programme, said that organisations are becoming more frugal given the fiscal situation.

“It is always going to be difficult. Sport is going to be looked at as an excess more than a necessity (in times of a downturn),” he said.

“We look to give good value and success brings a lot of excitement to our country. Remember the excitement that surrounded Gráinne Murphy after her success at the european championships. It lifted everyone’s spirits. There is a positive side to sport and it is important to keep a value on what we do.

“We can always do with a bit more money. Sometimes when you have a bit more you can waste it. But when you realise you don’t have a huge amount of money you become more careful with how you spend it.”

Banks praised the carding scheme operated by the ISC which allocates monies to the country’s top competitors. But he admitted that individual organisations are now trying harder to develop their own sources of revenue.

“In our own sport, we are looking at corporate opportunities down the road. As performances improve the greater that opportunity becomes. We must all try not to dependent on Government or Sports Council funding. We must get out there and help ourselves.”

Banks referenced the exploits of Murphy as proof that Swim Ireland’s structures and strategies can nurture world class talent.

“Gráinne came through our performance centre and proves you can do it at home, you don’t have to be abroad (to train and achieve success). There is a lot of talent in Ireland. My hope is that we get them in the right place and do the right thing and we don’t waste that talent.”

James O’Callaghan, High Performance Director with the Irish Sailing Association, shares the sentiment that outside sponsorship agreements are vital to develop revenues. He admitted that the profile generated by the Olympic Games makes this the best time to seek and ink deals.

“For minority sports you only get to harness this from now in. A lot of people forget about us between Olympic cycles. I would be optimistic with London almost being a home Games that we could capitalise on that. But it is a challenge. Take a company that has just let staff go but are interested in sponsoring us. There is almost a conflict of interest if they are seen to be sponsoring a sports programme. It is difficult challenge.”

Rowing’s High Performance Director Martin McIlroy, who heads the state of the art programme at Farren Woods, Cork, believes the climate is focusing minds.

“We have sufficient funds at the moment to run the programme that we should be running. Of course you could always spend more. But it makes us think more about what we are doing, it makes you look hard at what you are spending your money on and getting best value. You have got to be good at using your funds.”