There has been fierce criticism from a number of minor sports that had their funding cut earlier this month because of a £50 million shortfall in funding caused by the Government's failure to raise any private sponsorship because of the current economic crisis.

 

But Steele, writing an exclusive blog for insidethegames, today said that the Government agency which distributed £304 million worth of National Lottery and Exchequerer funding to Britain's 24 Olympic sports to help them prepare for London 2012, had to properly support those that offered the best opportunity of delivering success.

 

He writes: "We absolutely believe in rewarding success, and with a fixed sum for investment those funding decisions are always going to be relative.

 

"The best route to ensuring that Beijing’s success is exceeded in London, and then repeated in Games to come, is to focus attention and investment on those sports and athletes that are demonstrably succeeding, with performance evidence to back up claims of progress."

 

Among the sports most harshly affected have been shooting and volleyball, who have both had to make key personnel redundant.

 

But Steele defends the decisions to cut the minor sports funding.

 

He writes: "The days when a sport believes it had a right to funding merely because it exists, or that decisions are made for anything other than meritocratic and objective reasons, are long gone. 

 

"Most sports understand that – and those that don’t need to understand the realities of the world we all inhabit."

 

Steele, clearly frustrated by the ongoing debate over funding, has now warned sports that it is time to concentrate on their preparations for London 2012.

 

He writes: "For months now the talk has been about money and whether we have enough. 

 

"My view as we enter the new Olympiad is that it is time for that talking to stop.  

 

"We have made decisions, which while tough for some are absolutely fair and right ones to ensure we meet our medal ambitions in 2012.