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National governing bodies have grown uneasy about Sport Org, a little-known organisation recently set up by UK Sport

Some still find it odd that Sport Org is essentially the organisation that was British Curling.

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Key facts

  • Some still find it odd that Sport Org is essentially the organisation that was British Curling. Others ask how independent it really is from UK…
  • National governing bodies have grown uneasy about Sport Org, a little-known organisation recently set up by UK Sport, as the funding agency seeks to…
  • The proposal has sharpened a wider anxiety among sports leaders: that a body created to run elite programmes for some sports could become a route to…

Some still find it odd that Sport Org is essentially the organisation that was British Curling. Others ask how independent it really is from UK Sport, even though it has its own executive and board, and whether it will be held to the same standards as every other sport.

National governing bodies have grown uneasy about Sport Org, a little-known organisation recently set up by UK Sport, as the funding agency seeks to place a winter sport's high-performance programme under its control.

The proposal has sharpened a wider anxiety among sports leaders: that a body created to run elite programmes for some sports could become a route to taking over others, particularly smaller ones that rely on public money.

UK Sport insists there are two sides to the argument. It says that, in the case of squash and para table tennis, Sport Org has already demonstrated its value by enabling public funding to flow to those programmes.

Since a video conference on the plans, The Guardian has spoken to more than half a dozen sports leaders. While some praised Munday for addressing certain issues, the majority said the call had only scratched the surface of people's concerns or had"raised more questions than it answered".

When the call was opened to questions, the head of one national governing body said they had initially feared Sport Org would be"a bit like Ofsted", and would swoop in if it was not impressed with a sport.

Some smaller sports fear they might be taken over by Sport Org even if they believe they would have more success with their own elite staff, who have been in the sport for years.

"But generally people are either shit-scared that they will be next, or they haven't got the bollocks to stand up to UK Sport,"one figure said. Asked whether he would put his name on the record, he replied:"No, because there is an air of fear around this.".

That message was echoed by another chief executive who has doubts over Sport Org."One or two of the chairs think it is a good idea,"one chair of a national governing body told The Guardian.

Another chair said the dispute between UK Sport and GB Snowsport was also playing on people's minds."When UK Sport can pull the financial trigger you have to be careful,"they said.

Others agreed that efficiencies were needed but wondered why UK Sport was focused on making them on the elite sport side rather than, for example, in legal, communications and human resources, where sports could pool resources.

The changes are increasingly ruffling feathers and stoking fears, even as UK Sport maintains that Sport Org is an additional option and not a replacement for national governing bodies.

Dig deeper

What is UK Sport?

UK Sport is the UK public body that invests National Lottery and government money in Olympic and Paralympic high-performance programmes and decides which sports receive that elite funding.

What is Sport Org?

Sport Org is a small body recently created by UK Sport, essentially the former British Curling organisation, with its own executive and board, now proposed as the home for a winter sport’s elite programme.

What is British Curling?

British Curling is the body that has run Great Britain’s elite curling; Sport Org is widely seen as that organisation under a new setup controlled more closely by UK Sport.

Who is Munday?

Munday is the UK Sport figure who led a video call with sports leaders about the plans; some welcomed the answers, but most said the discussion left major worries unresolved.

Why did one leader compare Sport Org to Ofsted?

Ofsted is England’s education inspectorate, which can judge schools and intervene; the fear is that Sport Org could similarly step in and take over a sport’s elite programme if UK Sport is unimpressed.

Why are smaller national governing bodies worried?

Many rely on UK Sport money for their elite teams and fear a model built for some sports could be used to absorb others, even when they prefer long-serving staff of their own.

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