Blow to UK health drive

The pledge to create a more healthy and active nation through the London Olympics suffered a setback today when the favourite to become the Government's sports legacy "czar" ruled himself out of the running.

Sir Keith Mills, the marketing tycoon and vice chairman of the 2012 organising committee, Locog, said he turned down the offer to become full-time chairman of Sport England due to other commitments.

He said the continued vacancy at Sport England, which has been leaderless since Derek Mapp quit last December, was an indictment of sport in this country.

Sport England has been through upheaval in the past 12 months after getting a new brief by ministers and having its funding cut to pay for the 2012 building programme.

Sir Keith, a director at Tottenham Hotspur, had been considered the ideal candidate as one of the original architects of an Olympic bid that has promised as one of its legacies to convert millions of couch potatoes into sport enthusiasts. His refusal will add to concerns that the top job at Sport England, which delivers grassroots sport for the Government, is a poisoned chalice. It may also put in the frame Stuart Smith, president of the Lawn Tennis Association.

"It's a bit of a reflection on where sport is at in this country that the Government is struggling to find someone to step in," Sir Keith told the Standard. "It's a great shame they have not been able to find someone of the right calibre and I guess that means they go back to the drawing board."

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport was so eager to appoint Sir Keith they gave him the chance to pick his own deputy to work with the governing bodies of the major sports to boost grassroots activity. "They would have allowed the deputy to take the work load off me by working with the governing bodies but I think you have got to be hands on as a chairman. You could also get a commercial figure to open sports centres but the real work is going to be in delivering the legacy."

Sir Keith has been in talks with the Football Association chairman Lord Triesman who is recruiting for the 2018 World Cup bid. He ruled himself out of the running for the 2018 bid chairman but would continue to act as an advisor.