English basketball funding cut before London 2012

LONDON (AP) - Funding for basketball has been cut in England just after the British team was granted a spot in the London 2012 Olympics.

Sport England says the organization that runs the national youth teams and grass roots basketball in England will have to cope with $1.9 million less for the next two years.

The cut is due to the number of adults playing basketball at least once a week dropping by almost 20 percent in the last two years to 154,100.

Sport England says “England Basketball's plans do not adequately address the challenge of increasing participation beyond the governing body's current audiences”.

For each of the next two years, the funding is $2.2 million.