Terry Maddaford: Whose NZ does Sparc target?

Not rated a mention among the losers - and certainly not the winners - in the latest round of Sparc funding, New Zealand Soccer bosses must be wondering where they stand now.

So, too, sports including touch, softball and league, popular with our burgeoning Maori and Pacific Island population.

Under its high-performance criteria, Sparc insists its mission is to have "New Zealand athletes and teams winning in events that matter to New Zealand".

Soccer is obviously not seen in such light. The sport has been handed a gilt-edged opportunity to play at the highest level - including having men's and women's teams at the 2008 Beijing Olympics - following Australia's withdrawal from the Oceania Football Confederation, and yet Sparc, apparently, is in no hurry to ensure they get there and then have the chance to perform.

With the possibility of playing in 14 Fifa world championships at all age levels in the next five years, the sport has a second-to-none chance to fly the New Zealand flag.

Sparc's website reveals that, at the last count, 18 per cent of young New Zealanders play soccer - comfortably ahead of other popular winter sports including rugby and netball.

Even at adult level, the world's most popular sport holds its own when compared with other New Zealand codes.

New Zealand Soccer may well ask how it has been cold-shouldered when cricket has been classed as one of the favoured nine.

The All Whites hover just outside the top 100 of Fifa's 200-plus ranked nations. The New Zealand test cricket team ranks seventh among the only 10 countries on the ICC list.

Sailing, another in line for a Sparc handout, was spectacularly unsuccessful at their last major regatta - the Athens Olympics.

They may well be seen in the same light as equestrianism - a formerly successful sport but which these days is in the "can do better" category. It is now also on the list of "losers".

Success at the highest level in recent times by our softballers, basketballers, league teams and in touch has been reflected in the on-going interest among the Maori and Pacific Islanders who have played a not insignificant role in these sports.

Sparc figures show soccer is the most popular sport among young Pacific people, followed by touch.

Sparc will back its latest funding round by pointing out the handouts are part of their "High Performance Strategy".

But if the financial resources are aimed at the favoured nine - and its statement says "up to 70 per cent of Sparc's high performance investment and support will be targeted at 'results-capable sports' competing in events that matter to New Zealand - what realistic chance have the rest got of ever catching up?

Further, Sparc says that the No 1 priority in deciding where such support should go is the "importance to New Zealand".

If the favoured nine are to be seen as the most important sports to New Zealanders, Sparc, surely, has been ill-advised - or its board and chief executive are sadly out of touch.

In allocating only "up to 5 per cent of their high-performance investment and support" for targeted world-class athletes, our very best are being sold short.

They deserve, and will almost certainly need, better than that.

In their background to its high-performance strategy, Sparc states sport "is an important part of the fabric of New Zealand society and New Zealanders believe winning international events is important".

It seems, though, it wants to be selective in deciding from which sports that success should come.

New Zealanders savour success in all sports. Certainly not in just the chosen few.

Sportsmen and women must be given their opportunity across the board.

A quick look at Sparc's list suggests it is again a case of simply the rich getting richer and to hell with the rest.