Athletes' fury as basketball funding is cut

ATHLETES objecting to government cuts to their funding for the 2012 Olympics were today protesting at Downing Street.

Members of the British women's wheelchair basketball team will hand in a letter at No10 demanding their 2012 cash be restored.Wheelchair basketball is among 12 Olympic and Paralympic sports which may be without public funding after a £50million shortfall in cash pledged.

Wheelchair basketball bosses will send a British team to the 2012 Games but fear the cash crisis will mean Paralympic sport loses out on a potential legacy.

The 12 sports that face funding cuts are fencing, handball, shooting, table tennis, volleyball, water polo, weight-lifting and wrestling and from Paralympics fencing, goalball, volleyball and women's wheelchair basketball.

Their fate will be decided by funding agency UK Sport next month.