Australia's paralympic football team, the Pararoos, will take to the field again under a "rescue plan" to be announced by Football Federation Australia, according to Michael Koziol of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The Pararoos have been "in limbo" since the Australian Sports Commission axed its A$175,000 of Commonwealth funding last year, "arguing the team had not measured up to performance targets." FFA said it "lacked the financial capacity to make up for the shortfall." But it has now decided to reinstate the program and will partner with the Australian Sports Foundation to try to raise A$300,000 ($228,500) to cover the Pararoos' training costs and "send them to the world championships in June." FFA is "confident it will achieve its goal but it is understood the Pararoos' future is not conditional" on the A$300,000 target being reached. FFA will take on the team's logistical and management costs and "hopes it will qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro." The team has not qualified for the Paralympic Games since Sydney in '00, and the ASC judged it "did not qualify for funding under the 'Winning Edge' performance strategy" introduced in '12. More than 80,000 people signed an online petition started by former coach Paul Brown calling for the decision to be reversed, "but the commission stood firm" (SMH, 3/18).
