Eion Edgar,  the president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC),  told the newspaper Sunday News that they are facing a $2.5 million (£1.01 million) deficit in the four-year lead up to London.

 

Edgar told the newspaper: “It’s possible that unless we increase our funding, athletes who want to compete may have to pay part of their own way."

 

Part of the problem, the newspaper claimed, is that the NZOC is struggling to keep up with the improving standard of New Zealand athletes.

 

The size of the team that will travel to the Beijing Olympics in August is expected to be the biggest ever sent from New Zealand despite the NZOC raising their qualification standards.

 

Edgar said: "We are getting more teams qualifying and then you get situations like rowing we will have one of our biggest rowing teams ever in Beijing.

 

"It demonstrates how well New Zealand does on that wide world stage.

 

"I'm excited about it but equally that's why we have to plan to make sure we are in a well placed financial situation in 2012.

 

"What we were looking to do is raise our profile and increase the understanding of what our long term goals are.

 

"At the moment we are in good shape but looking out, if you take the long term view and plan for the next five or six years as any responsible board should, we need to increase our funding.

 

"There's no hiding from that."

 

Edgar said the NZOC will continue to look to fund athletes for Commonwealth and Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

 

But, he warned: "With the number of Games, for some of them we may have to say `You have to pay part of it."'

 

The most affected could be teams competing in events like the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

 

Edgar told the Sunday News: "That would be disappointing because they are our future but we have to be practical because there are only so many things we can do financially.

 

"A quarter of their costs may have to be paid by the athlete or their sport."

 

The full article can be read at http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4395757a1823.html.