A "rescue package" has been agreed to that will lead to Britain’s Olympic sports "being spared funding cuts in the run-up to Tokyo 2020," according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. The government has "agreed to cover an anticipated shortfall of National Lottery income" of more than £30M ($37.7M). The move means that the announcement of funding for the individual Olympic and Paralympic sports will result in the figure of £350M ($440) "allocated for the Rio Games at least maintained for the next four years." UK Sport, the body that distributes public money to elite sport, had "made a last-ditch plea to the prime minister after being advised of a possible drop" of more than 8% in Lottery income owing to falling ticket sales. There had been "fears that such a drop would directly affect British athletes’ medal chances in Japan." The decision does not mean that "every sport will have the same funding for Tokyo -- they will each have to prove that their medal potential for 2020 is the same or better than it was for Rio" (LONDON TIMES, 12/8).