Lottery boost for young Olympians
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell today announced an extra £1 million a year in lottery money for the talented athlete scholarship scheme (TASS).
The scheme provides young people aged 18 to 25 in higher or further education with sporting services worth £3,000 a year to pay for coaching, sports science, physiotherapy and the use of training facilities.
For teenagers as young as 12 who have Olympic potential, the TASS 2012 – based on the London 2012 Olympics – distributes awards of up to £10,000.
“Today, we are giving a big boost to a generation of future Olympians,” Ms Jowell said, adding: “I am certain that many of our young TASS and TASS 2012 athletes will go on to represent Great Britain in the London Olympic and Paralympic games.”
Roger Draper, chief executive of Sport England, said the new investment would play a vital role in helping create “the most active and successful sporting nation in the world”.
