Fencing fury as 2012 cash is slashed

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The head of fencing, Piers Martin, said he was "confused and frustrated" by the decision not to guarantee the sport full funding until the London Games.

Fencing, which received £3.1million up to Beijing, must compete with seven other Olympic sports for £12m and will learn its fate next month.

Martin challenged claims from funding agency UK Sport that priority had been given to sports with medal potential.

He was mystified as to why £8.7m has been awarded to basketball even though the British team are not even assured of Olympic qualification.

Martin said: "The most confusing and frustrating thing is that other sports are being given massive increases in money but I don't see them achieving medals. Maybe there are other reasons."

Basketball featured prominently in London's Olympic bid and is thought to be key to the Government meeting mass participation targets though UK Sport insist the agency's budget is not being used for this.

Fencing has enjoyed recent medal success in the European Championships with the men's foil team and both Richard Kruse and Laurence Halsted are reckoned to be medal contenders for 2012.