AS the Olympics loom on the horizon and all the high profile glitz they mean, spare a thought for the other end of the sporting scale.

Westhoughton schoolboy Iain Barnett needs to raise £3,000 after being selected to play for the Great Britain under 12s squad in the Can AM Roller Hockey World Cup in Canada.

In the vast scale of things, finding money for a young lad to play a lesser known sport is not massively important.

But, underlying this local story is a national loss that is not only putting the country at the tail-end of international sport but highlights a potential way forward with youngsters.

It is not rocket science to recognise that engaging the attention of youngsters in some organised activity - especially one that might lead to real achievement - is preferable to having them chatting aimlessly on street corners. Unfortunately, the Government does not recognise the need for pumping cash into the kinds of sports that actually appeal to young people.

Skateboarding, roller hockey, basketball are not top priority when what passes for national funding in sport takes place.

The message that goes out is "if you want it, do it yourself", which translates to potential hardship or apathy.

Iain Barnett's situation is certainly not unique. You can apply the same scenario for dozens of local youngsters in several different sports.

The reality is that, if we want Britain to be great at sport - and if we want our youngsters to take up something healthier than boozing and idling - we have to put money on the table. Otherwise, the kind of sport that our young people really want is largely dead in the water.