HAMPSHIRE'S hockey Olympian, Rob Moore, is one of a number of national players waiting to hear whether they can continue training full-time, writes Keiron Fox.

Sport England, the body that invests in sport at all levels, has reaffirmed its policy of supporting sports that win medals by cutting its hockey funding by 60 per cent over the next four years to a little over £11m.

That places hockey 12th of 20 priority sports the body funds and behind badminton.

Great Britain men's hockey team could only finish ninth at last year's Athens Olympics while the women's team failed to qualify.

For players like 23-year-old Moore, right, who featured in that men's team, Sport England's decision could jeopardise any 2008 Olympic ambitions.

But the game's grassroots players and future internationals will feel the brunt of the cuts.

Philip Kimberley, chairman of England Hockey, said: "We are deeply disappointed with the size of cuts and it will require us to completely re-examine how we run our elite programmes at all age group levels. It may mean we have to sacrifice much of what we have been doing in the last two to three years.

"We will also have to re-examine how we deliver our grass roots support to clubs, counties and regions."

On a per head basis, Welsh and Scottish hockey will be funded to four and seven times the level of England respectively.

A decision on individual player funding could come as early as next week when player's such as Trojans' women's internationals Alex Danson, Steph Farmer, goalkeeper Sara Ellis, and Nyssa McNeil could also be affected.

Sport England has enabled Moore, from Colden Common near Winchester, to play hockey full-time since graduating from Nottingham University with a degree in industrial economics. But for both personal and professional reasons he has started to look for work.

Moore, who now plays for London's Surbiton Hockey Club, said: "Nothing has been confirmed but we know we will get a cut in funding. We are still waiting to hear. I'm still playing hockey but I'm going to have to start work.

"It would be a blow but then I'm not in it for the money. Things can change very quickly, especially if we were to do well at the Europeans this summer."

l Trojans forward Alex Danson has withdrawn, due to illness, from England's squad due to travel to Spain next week.