Athletes make point on Academy

Of the 26 contenders being considered as potential hosts of the British Academy of Sport, none can lay greater claim to representing the wishes of competitors than that entitled, appropriately, the Athletes' Bid.

The bid, which proposes alternative sites in Hertfordshire, has gained the commitment of more than 100 past and present competitors in a range of sports after a widespread consultation exercise. Supporters include David Wilkie, Roger Uttley, David Gower, Sean Kerly, David Hemery and Richard Nerurkar.

The key elements which have emerged are a determination not to compromise the project with shared use of existing facilities. "That," the bid statement says, "is the greatest complaint about what we have now."

The bidding group plans to build a central training centre, which would co-ordinate work in regional centres, at a site either near Hatfield or Watford.

"We shouldn't be ashamed of the idea that we are going to concentrate on the elite," the former head of coaching for British athletics, Frank Dick, said. "We want to drag competitors up the extra couple of notches it needs to take on the rest of the world."

The bid began as a private venture two years ago and has since expanded in scope following the commitment of up to pounds 100m of National Lottery money to the Academy. The estimated capital cost of this project is pounds 107m, of which pounds 38m would be raised by private sponsorship.

The idea that the Government, which has said it may adapt bid ideas piecemeal, might take on board the research gathered by the Athletes' Bid and apply it to another contender elsewhere in the country was accepted with equa- nimity by one of the steering group, Mike Corby. "We could well be a regional part of the whole scheme," he said. "We are happy to give everything we have for the good of the athletes in this country."