Victorian Government supports Indigenous sportspeople with Aboriginal Sport Participation Grant Program

Avatar
Aboriginal Sport Participation Grant Program
Image via Pxhere

Applications are now being accepted for the Victorian State Government’s Aboriginal Sport Participation Grant Program.

The program aims to get greater Indigenous participation in sport. It recognises that funding is a huge barrier to participation and thus it seeks to engage with key community stake holders such as local sporting clubs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to get more Indigenous participation in sport.

This program recognises that sport is vital in bringing communities, families, and individual together. The government hopes that through Indigenous people accessing the grant and subsequently participating in sport there will be positive results for all community stakeholders as sport facilities social-cohesion, connectedness, and well-being.

Grants are being issued under three categories:

Category 1: Aboriginal sporting carnivals

Grants issued under Category 1 may be up to $2,500 per junior team and $1,500 per senior team. The grant may be used my grantees to fund travel and accommodation when their team participates in state-wide or national carnivals.

To be eligible all individuals in the team must identify as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. For this current round of grants the team must also be participating in the tournament or carnival between September 2023 and February 2024. The teams must also reside in the state of Victoria.

Category 2: Uniforms or Equipment

Grants issued under Category 2 may be up to $1,000 per team, club, or association and for individuals up to $250 for the purchasing or uniforms and/or equipment.

To be eligible all individuals in the team must identify as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. For this round of grants uniforms must be purchased between September 2023 and February 2024. Once again, all teams must reside in Victoria.

Category 3: Athlete Participation Support

This category of grants may be up to $750 and can be issued to both athletes and coaches to assist with travel and accommodation costs needed to compete or train in regional, state, and national competitions or representative teams.

 

To be eligible all athletes or coaches must identify as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The participants must reside in Victoria and have been invited or are planning to compete in a regional, state, or national sporting competition or be a member of a representative team. A participant must not have previously received an individual grant under this category in the previous funding round.

To apply for categories 1 & 2 applications must be submitted by October 20, 2023. For category 3 applications they will remain open until the funding allocation is exhausted. Applications for a second round of funding next year will be due by 2 April 2024.

To submit an application prospective applicants have been asked to first check their eligibility which may be done online or by contacting the Aboriginal Programs team at  aboriginal.programs@sport.vic.gov.au. Applications for those eligible may be submitted via the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR) Grant Portal.

The outcome for round 1 applications will be issued in December 2023 and for those applying for category 3 grants they will be notified within 4 weeks of submission.

This grant program is a great opportunity and is not to be missed for those eligible. It is great to see the Victorian government committing to supporting Indigenous sport and hopefully though these grants we will more Indigenous sportspeople both on the Victorian and national stage.

Western Australian Institute of Sport to earn $20.8m funding boost

Avatar
Image credit: Western Australian Institute of Sport

The Cook Government is set to inject a $20.8 million funding boost over four years to enhance the operations and athlete development programs at the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) in preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

Starting from 2024-25 and continuing until 2027-28, this funding increase will supplement WAIS’s existing annual base funding of $9.5 million.

The new resources are aimed at providing enhanced support to athletes aspiring to international success and improving athlete care with an overall goal to build on WA’s best-ever Olympics result in Paris.

The additional $20.8 million funding package includes:

– A $9 million increase in base funding for WAIS.

– $7.5 million allocated for advancements in WAIS operations, governance, and athlete development and care programs.

– $500,000 earmarked for refurbishments to the WAIS High Performance Service Centre to accommodate additional staff.

The WAIS played a crucial role in the early development of Sam Kerr and other Western Australian footballers before they transitioned away from the program following the FA’s national pathway change in 2012.

Today, football is no longer a primary focus for WAIS, much like the AIS, despite the sport’s continued inclusion in the Olympics.

Premier Roger Cook commented on the upgrades his Government are leading following a proud WA cohort in Paris 2024.

“Western Australian athletes have had an unbelievable Paris 2024 Olympic campaign, with stunning medal-winning performances across athletics, sailing, swimming, cycling, diving, surfing, rowing, tennis, basketball, water polo and boxing,” Cook said in a press release.

“This major funding boost for WA’s peak athlete support organisation reflects my Government’s commitment to fostering sporting talent.

“The additional resources will provide a clear pathway for our athletes and future Olympians to thrive on the world stage, and ultimately give them the best chance of bringing gold home from Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.”

WAIS Chair Dr. Neale Fong spoke on the success in Paris 2024 and the future following the upgrades.

“Fifty-three Western Australians have performed on the world stage at the Paris Olympics, and a further 20 will strive for success in the Paralympics shortly,” Fong said in a statement.

“WAIS is proud to support these athletes as a vital step on their path to representing Australia, and this funding from the Cook State Government is vital in ensuring that how we win is just as important as winning itself.

“With the focus firmly on Paris at the moment, we are getting an insight into the ability of athletes to inspire a nation, which will only increase in magnitude at a home Games in Brisbane 2032.

“This investment enables WAIS to ensure we have strong foundations for future growth as we look to increase the number of athletes we support in preparing for Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”

Futsal’s potential influence on the upgrades:

With Futsal emerging as a potential candidate for future Olympic Games and participation rates skyrocketing across all states in recent years, this upgrade could pave the way for developing some of the sport’s top athletes, should they choose to pursue that path.

The situation is extremely similar of the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre, approved in early August and constructed for the 2032 Olympics. The Moreton Bay City Council highlighted that the facility would accommodate various sports, with futsal noted as a possible activity on its 12 multi-use courts.

Football West and Football Queensland have both emphasised the significance of futsal’s growing popularity, recognising it as one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia.

While the question of futsal’s inclusion in the Olympics remains unanswered, the facility undeniably has the potential to host National and State Championships and serve as a breeding ground for the next generation of elite futsal players.

Football Australia joins with the Australian Government in supporting Pacific football

Avatar
Football Australia officials helping to run referee knowledge-sharing sessions with the Solomon Islands Football Federation

Football Australia has partnered with the Australian Government to support the growth of elite football in the neighbouring Pacific nations.

Through the four-year investment deal delivered by PacificAus Sports, this new partnership will focus primarily on regular international competitions between Australian and Pacific Island international teams.

The outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government’s Team Up program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific.

These competitions will include both men’s and women’s teams from all age groups.

The renewed partnership follows a number of successful initiatives involving Pacific nations, starting with the 2019 Pacific Tour to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga by Australia’s Junior Matildas, before expanding to include Australian age-group men’s and women’s national football teams.

Furthermore, this will include futsal national teams and competitions and allow for regular competitive games for pacific nations against upcoming and experienced Australian teams.

This partnership will also aim to deliver capacity building initiatives for the development of players, officials and administrators in the Pacific.

In conjunction with this, PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television’s ‘That Pacific Sports Show’ and ABC Radio’s ‘Fresh Off the Field’.

Though Australia left the Oceania Football federation (OFC) for the Asian Federation in 2006, due to the geographical proximity of the pacific nations, Football Australia has always tried to maintain a strong and supportive relationship with its island neighbours.

Football Australia’s Chair Anter Issac commented:

“Australian football has many natural connections and intersections with the Pacific through a long-shared history of the game in this region. The surge in interest and inspiration for the game across the Pacific, particularly after our co-hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand™, is undeniable,” he said via media release.

“Our relationship with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is a cornerstone of our regional strategy.

“The collaborative efforts between Football Australia and OFC and Member Associations across the region have been critical in strengthening our ties within the Pacific, allowing us to work together towards common objectives and ensuring the continued development of football in the region.”

Australia’s wealth and talent in football is a massive asset for its neighbours and one which they count on for a lot of support.

It will also help to try and bring connection and personal links with the sport and the local communities to help with the growing support of the sport in the region.

Additionally, there is opportunity for investors and sponsors to gain huge benefits form this partnership and its future.

For Australia, this initiative in supporting the Pacific Island’s football both helps develop Pacific footballing quality, and connects the entire region closer.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend