Australian Minister for Sport Kate Ellis announced a few days back a review of the entire Australian sporting system led by a new expert panel. Amongst other things, the review will look at how to ‘Better place sport and physical activity as a key component of the Government’s preventative health approach’ and also how to ‘identify opportunities to increase and diversify the funding base for sport through corporate sponsorship, media and any recommended reforms….’
It’s too much to think that the review has been catalysed by Team GB getting one over on the Australian team at Beijing (though one wouldn’t blame Gerry Sutcliffe for making the connection). It’s more likely just another example of Australia’s commitment to pursue excellence in all matters sporting…including melding the social and sporting agendas which is currently the focus for debate over here.
What’s been interesting is how the political and media agenda, especially in the capital where the Evening Standard have just launched a ‘Sporting Legacy’ campaign, is beginning to dig hard at the key questions: how do we make this investment work for grass roots sports? How do we ensure the investment actually grows sports participation? In this context it will be fascinating to see how Kate Hoey and Boris Johnson change policy and investments as we move towards 2012 and how sports policy does or does not become an area for political differentiation.