Crisis-hit UK Athletics receive much-needed cash boost from UK Sport to cover the cost of July’s Diamond League meeting at the London Stadium

  • Mail Sport revealed in May that the governing body had applied for £300k grant
  • UK Athletics previously feared event would not be able to go ahead as planned
  • Around 40,000 tickets have already been sold for the meeting on July 23 

UK Sport have agreed to help crisis-hit UK Athletics cover the costs of next month’s Diamond League meeting in London.

Mail Sport revealed last month that the cash-strapped governing body had applied for a grant of up to £300,000 so they could fund the prestigious event at the London Stadium.

And UK Sport – the public body responsible for funding elite sport – have now confirmed they will support UKA’s request for cash, with talks ongoing over the exact amount they will hand over.

The news is a huge boost for UKA, who feared the Diamond League meeting could cost them as much as £500,000 at a time when they have already had to lay-off staff to stay afloat.

In a statement to Mail Sport, UK Sport confirmed: ‘The UK Sport board made a decision around UK Athletics’ application for funding for the 2023 Diamond League earlier this week.

UK Athletics have received a cash injection from UK Sport to support their planned Diamond League meeting at the London Stadium in July

UK Athletics have received a cash injection from UK Sport to support their planned Diamond League meeting at the London Stadium in July

‘Our board have agreed to support the event, and we are now in dialogue with UKA around the details of that support, which UKA now need to discuss with their own board.

‘We look forward to collaborating with UKA on the delivery of this iconic event, which we know is important for athletes and fans alike.’

UK Sport have a budget to support major sports events being staged in this country, but they have never previously invested in the Diamond League. The last athletics event they helped fund was the World Championships in London in 2017.

Around 40,000 tickets have already been sold for the Diamond League meeting on July 23, with a host of big names confirming their appearance.

British world medallists Dina Asher-Smith, Keely Hodgkinson, Jake Wightman and Matthew Hudson-Smith will all compete in the capital.

British stars such as Dina Asher-Smith are preparing to attend the prestigious event in July

British stars such as Dina Asher-Smith are preparing to attend the prestigious event in July

It was also announced on Tuesday that Britain’s Eilish McColgan and Sifan Hassan – the Dutch double Olympic champion and London Marathon winner – will race each other in the 5,000m.

Other international stars on show include Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson, American sprint hurdler Grant Holloway and Dutch 400 metres hurdler Femke Bol.

Speaking about the state of UKA’s finances last month, chief executive Jack Buckner said: ‘It’s hard yards and it’s not pretty. I’ve had to make some tough calls, let staff go.

‘I feel I’m getting there. I’ve got some good discussions with partners but I wouldn’t say I’ve got a magic bullet.’



Post source: Daily mail

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