While athletics once again received the largest allocation under the elite athlete international carding scheme of the Irish Sports Council, amateur boxing's combined total of £102,400 spread among 29 fighters reflects this year's main interest in the sport, the World Amateur Boxing Championships to be staged in Belfast in June.

In addition to individual boxers receiving funding, the sport was also given money for training camps and international competitions in the run-up to the World Championships while the Irish Sports Council has also allocated £50,000 towards the cost of staging the Belfast event. In total boxing's allocation has risen to £386,900 for 2001.

Outside of the World Championship allocations to boxing, it is the third biggest funded sport behind athletics, which received £318,900 and rowing, which drew £187,200. The money allocations reflect the sports which have traditionally done best at European, World and Olympic level.

Overall 225 athletes from 23 sports as well as 30 athletes from Paralympic sports have qualified for this year's scheme announced yesterday by the Irish Sports Council (ISC). In total athletes will receive £1,097,400 of which almost half are athletes in the developmental and junior categories.

In the wake of the Sydney Review, which reported last month that the carding scheme needed to be revised, the Sports Council also announced this will take place later this year when a performance review group is established.