Aths: Cash-strapped AA will survive - Allatson Aths Aust
By Morgan Beck
SYDNEY, May 28 AAP - Athletics Australia (AA) admitsit has money worries but insists it won’t affect thenational team preparing for the world championships andAthens Olympics.
Chief executive Simon Allatson today acknowledged AAwas struggling to pay creditors on time and had beenforced to downgrade profit forecasts.
But he rejected any suggestion that the national bodycould be close to bankruptcy.
It's certainly not bad to the extent it's beingportrayed - various statements have been made which areincorrect,'' Allatson said. We don’t deny that some creditors haven’t been paidon time but it is a manageable issue … all creditorswill be paid.’’
Asked if the money shortage could lead to a reductionin numbers on the national team at the worldchampionships in Paris in August, Allatson said:Absolutely not.'' The expected downgrade will not have any effect onour athletes or their ability to compete in futureevents including the world championships this year andAthens in 2004.
Allatson attributed the problems to the difficultsponsorship market - although AA’s main sponsor Telstrais signed until 2005 - and to poor gate takings at itsdomestic track and field meetings.
It’s been a far cry from the heady days surroundingthe Sydney Olympics, with the summer’s Telstra A-Seriesmeets taking in place in front of near empty stadiums.
But Allatson denied a Herald Sun newspaper claim thatsome athletes had not been paid.
Hammer thrower Bronwyn Eagles said today her prizemoney as the champion thrower in the A-Series hadarrived earlier than prize money in previous years.
In a statement, Allatson said: We are like manyother organisations both in Australia and worldwide,having to downgrade forecasts in this tough financialmarket.'' AA's financial plight was partly due to the fact thatit had to pay for teams attending events in the northernhemisphere late in the financial year and did notreceive the funding for them until early in the next. One of the reasons this sort of issue arises forsports organisations is … most of the internationalcommitments are in the northern hemisphere, during ourwinter,’’ Allatson said.
``Those commitments fall in the next financial yearbut we have to pay for them now. We don’t get the moneyto pay for them until July, August or September - it’salways a tight period in April, May and June. ‘’
Another problem for AA is that a number of Australia’sbiggest track and field drawcards - including CathyFreeman, Tatiana Grigorieva and Craig Mottram - haverefused to sign AA contracts, claiming they are unfairand restrictive.
ED: THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH OVERSYMPLIFIES THE ACTUAL SITUATION AND MUST BE TAKEN WITH A BUCKET FULL RATHER THAN A GRAIN OF SALT…
AA wants control over where they compete and whatindividual sponsorships they sign as well as tyingpayment of government funds to athletes making up to sixpromotional appearances for Telstra.
AAP mjb/md/ph
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