Poverty barrier holding back some of Scotland's brightest young athletes

The poverty barrier and funding regulations are holding back some of Scotland's brightest sporting prospects.

Three years since the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Clyde News has been to visit the Gladiator Weightlifting Club in Easterhouse - one of the most deprived areas in the city - to gather their thoughts on the legacy left by the sporting event.

The club, which has produced more than 300 Scottish, British, European and World-level athletes since its inception in 1986, has a number of promising young athletes aged 13-17 who are already competing on the international stage for Scotland and Team GB.

But since weightlifting's governing body in this country was de-recognised by Sportscotland, groups like the Gladiators receive no funding for their young athletes.

Flights, travel, accommodation and expenses have to be paid for entirely by the parents or through any fundraising, with costs often running into thousands of pounds.

Alex Richardson is the former Scottish national weightlifting coach, and the project manager of the Gladiator charity.

He told Clyde News: "We were promised at the Scottish Government's Health and Sport inquiry in 2012 that children from deprived areas competing in an Olympic or Commonwealth sport would not miss out on opportunities to compete at a world level through barriers such as poverty. They would have the same opportunities as people from well-off areas.

"But the Gladiator Weightlifting Club is the living proof that if you come from the murder capital of Western Europe, like Greater Easterhouse, then there is no Commonwealth Games legacy."

Alex wants more funding to assist the youngsters regardless of the sport's current status.

"Weightlifting Scotland receives nothing for any of our athletes. The responsibility falls on the poor parents who have to find the money.

"I would like to know why the duty of care that was promised to international athletes from deprived communities is not being adhered to by this Scottish Government.

"There is fantastic talent in well-off areas; there's fantastic talent in deprived areas. But if you're a world-class athlete from a deprived area, you can't possibly meet your potential at world level because you cannot afford to go."

Aileen Campbell MSP, the Scottish Government's Health and Sport Minister, admits there's pressure on funding across all of public life.

She told Clyde News: "I've written to the UK Government because National Lottery income has dropped considerably, and there is a clear issue and a problem there. It has been a big part in how sport is funded across the UK.

"We need to strategically address that quite quickly in order to try and reverse this worrying trend. It's something I am acutely aware of and keen to do what I can to reverse that.

"Sportscotland also do what they can to provide the support that is so needed for athletes, and that's also why there has been an enormous facilities legacy from the Commonwealth Games."

But the financial aspect isn't the only legacy left by the 2014 event.

Annual health figures have only shown almost no change in sport participation levels since the end of the Games three years ago.

Neil Findlay MSP is the convener of the Scottish Government's Health and Sport Committee, who published their annual report into the legacy left by the Games at the end of May.

Speaking to Clyde News, he said: "The inquiry that we had showed very mixed results.

"There is little sporting legacy.

"By that I mean the number of people taking part in sporting activity is static, and in some cases has fallen.

"There has been an increase in club activity, but across the board at a grassroots level, there has been no increase in participation, and that's something which is very disappointing."