Further four sports given a boost in the lead up to the Games

Baseball, Boccia, Shooting and Softball Australia are set to make some big upgrades to their infrastructure after receiving a combined $360,000 in grant funding.

The National Performance Centre is now recognised as an AOC Olympic Training Centre to be utilised for both taekwondo and judo athletes and coaches.

The four national sporting organisations are the latest to receive funding through the $2.5 million AIS Small NSO Infrastructure Grant.

Over the last 12 months 23 funded sports have received an average of $100,000 to go towards improving their infrastructure to support their high performance programs.

Shooting Australia are using the funds to install electronic targets at the Melbourne International Shooting Club (MISC) which serves as the base for their National Pistol Program.

“The installation of the electronic targets at MISC will dramatically enhance athlete preparation for major domestic and international competition in the lead up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Shooting Australia CEO Adam Sachs said.

“These upgrades will also enable Shooting Australia to host training camps at MISC for current and aspiring athletes looking to join our national squads and teams. This investment will create a real legacy for pistol athletes now and into the future.”

The targeted grants program aims to help Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports prepare for the 2024 Paris Games, 2026 Victoria Commonwealth Games and 2028 LA Games.

Judo Australia received $75,000 last July and Australian Taekwondo an $81,000 boost last September to help transform their training area into an integrated world-class facility.

“The National Performance Centre is now recognised as an AOC Olympic Training Centre and can be utilised by both taekwondo and judo athletes and coaches which is very exciting,’’ said CombatAUS Performance Program Manager Nick Sanders.

Boxing Australia have also achieved some huge milestones since receiving their grant in 2021, with their pathway coaches and athletes gaining additional support.

‘’We’ve been able to better support our athletes and coaches who are transitioning from state to national programs through providing them with a range of new equipment such as video equipment to better analyse their training sessions,’’ Boxing Australia’s General Manager Dinah Glykidis said.

The funded projects will be completed before June 2023.