Four Olympic sports, one Paralympic lose UK funding for Tokyo 2020

LONDON: Badminton is one of four Olympic sports to lose funding for the 2020 Tokyo Games, UK Sport announced on Friday, despite returning with their first ever men’s doubles medal this year.

UK Sport — whose funding has been crucial in helping Team GB record medal success first in London in 2012 and then bettering that in Rio — said its total funding would be £345million (411m euros, $434m) for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, £2million down on the last four year cycle.

Badminton is not the only Olympic sport to lose out as archery, fencing, and weightlifting will also have no funding.

Paralympic sports have been affected too with wheelchair rugby losing its funding and wheelchair tennis — one of Team GB’s strongest suits winning six medals including a gold in Rio for Gordon Reid — earning a stay of execution. UK Sport want to see if the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Tennis Foundation can find the funds elsewhere to finance the athletes and their preparations for the Paralympics.

By contrast shooting has been rewarded for garnering two bronze medals — they also had two other finalists — in Rio by seeing its funding almost doubling to £7million.

Chair of UK Sport Rod Carr said the government has “confirmed its commitment” to funding UK Sport’s ambitions for Tokyo 2020. “These are critical funding decisions for sports to take them on their journey to Tokyo 2020 and beyond so the historic success at Rio can be maintained,” added Carr.

‘A LITTLE SURPRISED’ Former badminton players were left dumbstruck by the decision after Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge won a men’s doubles bronze medal in Rio.

“Erm... Win an Olympic medal and get funding taken away??!! #badminton #uksport,” tweeted 2004 mixed doubles Olympic silver medallist Gail Emms.

“Very very sad to say that many peoples Olympic Dreams will probably never become a reality after today’s @ uk_sport decision #badminton,” was the opinion of Peter Mills