Independent Sport Panel

The Independent Sport Panel has just reported to Sports Minister Kate Ellis after a year-long look at our national pastime. Aside from some recommendations about restructuring and administration, it had two key questions that go straight to the heart of our sporting spirit - what’s the definition of success and which sports are important?

Cheering on losers might take on new urgency. Remember Eric the Eel at Sydney 2000?

Panel chair David Crawford said we might need to kiss goodbye our ambitions to a top five Olympic ranking. “The Panel strongly believes the public needs to be educated to think differently about what constitutes Olympic success,” the report overview says.

He also listed the sports the Panel defined as carrying the “national ethos.” They were Swimming, tennis, cricket, cycling, the football codes, netball, golf, hockey, basketball, surfing and surf lifesaving. “If more money is to be injected into the system then we must give serious consideration to where that money is spent.”

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  • Carl Palmer says:

    09:49am | 18/11/09

    Q A – A coach speaking to his elite athlete at the Olympics just before her 400m event “Cathy you have worked extremely hard over many many years and sacrificed everything and you deserve every success but hey if you come eighth that will be an excellent result”. That’s what… Read more »

  • Richard says:

    10:54pm | 17/11/09

    Gosh, this report has really brought the pompous, self-righteous, holier than thou preachers out of the woodwork!  The fact is that most Australians don’t agree with these people.  Most Australians love sport and want to see Australians winning internationally.  It is part of our national ethos.  It is and always… Read more »

 

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