Sport-UK govt to invest £232m to support 2024 Olympic, Paralympic athletes

FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympics - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Closing Ceremony - Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - August 8, 2021. The Olympic torch and cauldron are seen with Paris 2024 displayed on the big screen during the closing ceremony REUTERS/Toby Melville

The British government will provide 232 million pounds ($320 million) in addition to National Lottery funding to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes for the Paris Games in 2024, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

The investment, which represents a 44% rise on the funding received by UK Sport in the run-up to the Tokyo Games, will be used to back aspiring athletes as well as their coaches and support staff.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) investment will also support athletes and coaches targeting success at the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

FILE PHOTO: Olympics - French Olympic medallists arrive with the Olympic flag in Paris - Paris, France - August 9, 2021 The Olympic flag is seen raised during a ceremony with french Olympic medallists outside Paris City hall REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

Earlier this month, Team GB won 65 medals across 25 disciplines in Tokyo and finished fourth in the overall medals table. The Paralympic Games are set to begin on Aug. 24.

"Team GB showed us the very best of this country in Tokyo - demonstrating sportsmanship, hard work and record-breaking performances," Johnson said in a statement

"This increased funding will support Team GB to deliver their best possible performances in three years' time in Paris."

($1 = 0.7219 pounds)

(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)