5 Apr 2012

Greek Athletics Federation suspends operations again

5:44 am on 5 April 2012

Greece's cash-strapped athletics federation has suspended its operations in protest at continuous cutbacks in state funding.

Just eight years after hosting the Olympics in Athens, the Greek government has already halted funding for the country's elite athletes preparing for the London Olympics.

The decision means no regional or national competitions will be held, and expenses for athletes and coaches are frozen.

Greek athletics has felt the country's economic crisis more than most sports due to its reliance on state funding.

Olympic hopefuls have been forced to rely on handouts from the International Olympic Committee's solidarity programme after initial state cutbacks in funding at the end of last year.