[Archive 2009-11-23] Australian sport may be on the cusp of change

Historical archive — originally published 2009-11-23. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

The Independent Sport Panel Report, set up to look into sports funding, was published in Australia last week, prompting debate and speculation for the future of sport in the country. Many in the sector believe the report will prompt changes in the way sport is funded and administered in Australia.

John Coates, President of the Australian Olympic Committee, criticised the report, and several elite sports people have joined Coates' calls for sustained funding to Olympic level sport. Other commentators have welcomed the recommendations, challenging commonly held beliefs that Australians benefit from funding high performance athletes. Such positions call for more resourcing of sport at a participation level rather than performance level.

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