Sport was the winner this week as the chancellor’s autumn statement delivered a pleasant surprise to the sector. It sounded like it was going to be all doom and gloom for most of us as commentators suggested significant cuts to many budgets. Whether it was a last minute u-turn or the rumours were unfounded is now an irrelevance; the chancellor found some extra money and decided to spread it generously around.
The sport sector depends heavily on government funding and it has been a nail biting time for those in charge of budgeting, especially with the Olympics just nine months away. The best-case scenario was thought to be a freeze but the extra £2.3M in funding exceeded all expectations and has given a much needed boost to both sport and health. UK Sport is the direct benefactor that will distribute the budget down to our athletes and Olympic programmes. It sounds like we should be on track for plenty of silverware in Brazil next summer.
An area of the world where money is certainly not an issue when it comes to sport, or in fact any aspect of society, is the Middle East. I was in Doha, Qatar, last week working on a pentathlon competition and our sport has never seen such incredible facilities. To give just one example, the horses at the Al Shaqab Equine Centre have air-conditioned stables - all five hundred of them.
The swim and fence were held at an equally impressive facility that happened to be managed by an expatriate. After speaking to Simon, the venue manager, I soon discovered he was originally from the Westcountry. When I asked where specifically, I was surprised to discover he was originally from near Plymouth and his mother lived in Tavistock. Tavistock and Doha are worlds apart but once again it proves what a small world we live in.
