SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SPORTS INSTITUTE

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon) (15:04): I ask the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing: what is the South Australian Sports Institute doing to identify potential outstanding athletes in our state?

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:05): I thank the member for Croydon. I know he has a very strong interest in this area. The South Australian Sports Institute plays a pivotal role in assisting young South Australians to pursue an elite sporting career through the identification and development of talented young athletes.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT: I always do. Every year the SASI Talent Search team, working predominantly with high schools, conducts a talent identification program to identify potential elite athletes to join development programs in selected major olympic sports. The success of these programs is clear, with athletes identified through Talent Search now making up approximately 60 per cent of members of the SASI canoe sprint scholarship program, half of the rowing program and approximately one-third of the volleyball and cycling program.

I am advised that, throughout 2009, more than 5,000 high school age students were tested, with over 200 young people identified and invited to join SASI development programs. In the past 12 months alone, 40 graduates from the Talent Search program were given SASI scholarships, while 18 Talent Search graduates were selected in junior or senior Australian teams. Cyclist Rohan Dennis, who became a world champion by winning gold in the team pursuit at the 2010 World Track Cycling Championships, is one recent example who was identified through the SASI Talent Search. Rohan also competed in the Pro Cycling Tour in 2010 by representing Team UniSA at the 2010 Tour Down Under.

In the past 12 months, the state government has distributed over $100,000 to talented youngsters through its Talented Athlete Awards and the Country Athlete Award grants programs, and 174 athletes from over 41 different sports were selected to receive individual grants to assist with training and competition expenses and in their development as elite level athletes. These SASI programs have been very successful in assisting budding athletes to achieve results on the national and international stage, and I am sure that SASI will continue to fulfil this important role in the identification and development of our young South Australian athletes.

The SPEAKER: I draw attention to some material displayed. I am not sure if the member for Schubert has lost anything, but it is really not appropriate to display that material on your microphone. It is the member for Kavel, is it?