Minister for Sport, Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck said Sport Australia and the AIS has shown tremendous agility and a renewed focus on supporting sport.

“Australia’s remarkable achievements at the Tokyo Olympics was an inspiration to us all,” Minister Colbeck said. “It not only inspired our sport stars of the future but it also highlights what can be achieved when funding and support meets the needs of elite sports men and women.”

He said the Australian Government’s commitment to funding of sport at every level had also helped the sector navigate the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This financial year alone we will spend more than $500 million on sport and recreation and in the 2021-22 Budget we announced an additional $245.8 million for sport over and above our regular sports funding commitments.

“This includes an additional $136.3 million to support Australia’s high-performance system.”

Minister Colbeck said the ASC will work toward increasing participation at every level while ensuring a world-leading high performance system is in place to prioritise athlete wellbeing.

“The potential for sport to inspire Australians over the next decade or so is unrivalled, highlighted by the recent announcement that Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a fabulous green and gold runway of events.

“The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, FIBA Basketball Women’s World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup and Netball World Cup and the 2022 UCI Road World Championships are already confirmed, among other major international events, providing the nation with a unique opportunity to come together and celebrate through sport.”

ASC Chair Josephine Sukkar added: “Sport has an incredible ability to unite, inspire and build healthier, stronger communities. The pandemic has presented us with uncertainty but also opportunity to refocus our goals to support and grow Australian sport at all levels.”

“By helping Australians understand the value and benefits of sport and growing the capability of our sport workforce, we can make Australia stronger through sport.”

“Sport Australia will do this through the development of initiatives and platforms such as the Australian Sport Learning Centre, SportAUS Connect and Game Plan, as well as lead and facilitate knowledge sharing across the sport sector via our Clearinghouse for Sport.”

Similarly, the AIS will continue to lead the high performance system via the National High Performance Sport Strategy 2024 to deliver national pride and inspiration through international sporting success.

“The AIS remains focused on helping our athletes to be successful in both sport and life, and its greater focus on wellbeing has prepared our athletes well for the challenges we are facing as a result of the pandemic.”

The ASC 2021-2025 Corporate Plan is available on our website.