Rohan calls for change to funding of athletes

Double Paralympic gold medallist, Mark Rohan, has called for up-and-coming athletes to be prioritised at the expense of established sportspeople when the next raft of government funding is distributed.

The Westmeath man’s call was unique in the history of funding here or in any country. It was, for want of a better phrase, a case of a turkey voting for Christmas, but he insisted the time was right to focus on change.

Rohan was one of 22 athletes given ‘podium’ status in the last tranche of funding in early 2012, for which he received €40,000 from the government through the Irish Sports Council (ISC).