The New Zealand women's basketball team have been thrown a financial lifeline in their buildup towards the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee, on recommendation from the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC), has awarded the Tall Ferns an Olympic solidarity grant of at least US$100,000, ($145,264). The grant
is potentially worth up to US$400,000.
Initially intended to assist the Ferns qualify for Beijing, there is also provision for further funding once their spot at the Games is secure.
Because basketball qualifying will not be completed until relatively late, NZOC secretary general Barry Maister was confident of securing further advance funding to help their cause.
"There definitely will be more," he said. "Money will be available on a needs basis, designed to help them get to qualifying and then seriously compete at Beijing."
The Tall Ferns went to Athens with a question mark hovering over them. Olympic selector Bruce Cameron resigned in protest at their inclusion.
They went on to beat Korea and China in pool play to qualify for the quarterfinals and ultimately placed eighth.
"Women's basketball was given an opportunity to compete in Athens and grasped it," Maister said.
"We're absolutely delighted with the programme Basketball New Zealand has put together for them leading up to Beijing.
"They are obviously taking the development of women's basketball seriously."
Solidarity grants come from the sale of television rights for the Olympic Games and are allocated under a variety of different categories, one of which is team programmes.
New Zealand Hockey received a grant to prepare for Athens.
The Olympic basketball qualification process has changed since the last Games.
New Zealand will again face Australia in the 2007 Oceania championships with the winners progressing to Beijing.
The losers will get a second chance to qualify in a repecharge tournament against countries from the other four world zones.
- NZPA
