NEWS reaches us here at Total-Fishing that Sport England has finally agreed to fund next year’s Ladies World Championship in England.

Many of you will know that Sport England, the guys who dish out the lottery cash, had rejected the NFA’s bid for funding not once, but three times.
The NFA had applied for £15,000 of the £25,000 required, and a separate £10,000 application to UK Sport, who also have their fingers on the lottery purse, was also thrown out twice.

The rejection was on the grounds that they do not regard angling as one of 20 ‘elite sports’. They do recognise bowls, curling and synchronized swimming as elite.

As we understand it, they have changed their mind as a result of pressure placed on the government’s minister for sport, Richard Caborn.
The pressure came via a series of no holds barred letters from Martin Salter MP, the new spokesman for angling and shooting.

Our understanding is that the money is now secured, and that the England ladies will get their chance to defend the gold they won in Slovenia this year at Furzton Lake in Milton Keynes.

The full story will be in next month’s Midland Angler, out October 10.