Volleyball president vows to find 2012 cash

Volleyball will be played at Horse Guards Parade.

The President of the British Volleyball Federation has vowed that the money will be found to ensure none of the players are denied their 2012 dreams.

The sport is preparing for public funding to be cut that could affect the women's indoor and men's beach volleyball teams at the end of September.

All six Olympic and Paralympic volleyball teams have automatic host-country qualification for the London Games, however it is one of eight sports that has had its funding slashed by UK Sport because of a £50m budget shortfall.

TOWARDS 2012 The first Towards 2012 show goes out on BBC London 94.9FM on Sunday 26 September at 1700

The cuts have left some players' hopes of competing in the London Games in doubt.

Richard Callicott, President of the British Volleyball Federation, has told the new BBC London 94.9 Olympic and Paralympic Show Towards 2012 that he understands that tough decisions have had to be made.

Mr Callicott, talking about the athletes' plans, told BBC London 94.9 presenter Emma Jones: "We are out there talking to as many people as we can trying to raise enough money so that those programmes can continue."

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for players in a home Games".

British Volleyball, the game's governing body, saw its pre-Beijing 2008 budget of £4.3m slashed to £2.2m for the years up to the London Olympics.

As a result it has decided to concentrate its available budget on the men's indoor volleyball, women's beach volleyball and sitting volleyball programmes.

Funding axed for GB volleyballers

Towards 2012 will be broadcast on BBC London 94.9 on Sunday 26 September at 1700. There will be more about the budget cuts plus a behind the scenes tour of the 2012 Velodrome, and plenty of big name interviews from the red carpet at the BOA Olympic Ball.