Sport Scotland announces record £45.2m funding package

Netball is to receive more than £2m in investment over four years, an increase of 35.83%

Boxing, netball, lawn bowls, triathlon and snow sports are to receive big increases in funding from Sport Scotland over the next four years.

From the £45.2m investment for the 2015-19 cycle, areas "demonstrating membership growth and attaining performance targets" are rewarded.

The record expenditure is up £3m from the 2011-15 period.

The new phase covers the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018.

Of the funding coming from the Scottish Government and the Lottery, Scotland's Minister for Sport Jamie Hepburn said: "This record investment in Scottish sport's governing bodies will benefit all participants - our clubs, volunteers, performance athletes, and coaches.

"It will help us to continue to increase capacity in sport, building on the hugely successful and inspirational 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"The positive impact of hosting the Commonwealth Games has been felt right across the sporting spectrum, boosted by other high-profile events like the Ryder Cup and the Davis Cup."

Scotland's swimmers picked up 10 medals at last year's Commonwealth Games

Olympic and Paralympic sports are midway through their investment 2013-17 cycle, so the funds do not impact on preparations for Rio 2016.

Judo, a huge success for Scotland at the 2014 Glasgow Games, has been dropped for the Gold Coast event, with basketball taking its place in Australia.

However, judo will receive a 3.17% funding increase, while Basketball Scotland is currently mid-cycle, so there is no new money being announced.

Aquatics once again leads the way with more than £5m, although the figure is marginally down by 0.62%.

Spending on athletics is down by 2.08% to £3.76m, with cycling, hockey, rugby and gymnastics also receiving more than £3m.

The boxing budget leaps up by almost 45% to just over £2.5m, with netball getting £2.07m (up 35%).

Scotland's lawn bowlers won three gold medals and one silver at Glasgow 2014, with funding rising by almost 30% to £1.84m.

Curling continues to receive healthy support, with £2.87m (up 1.66%), with snowsports getting a 41.34% boost to £1.85m.

Maggie Murray, chief executive of Netball Scotland, said it would take time for the sport to be a "respected elite sport for women" and welcomed the cash boost.

She said: "We are very pleased about their increased commitment and support to help realise our ambition to be the first choice sport for girls and women."

The last spending cycle, she noted, was "one of the most productive and progressive phases in our history resulting in a 58% increase in membership over four years and an improvement in our World Ranking from 17th to 11th."