** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is sponsored by YANG YANG BADMINTON SHUTTLES and their U.S.A. agents, CHIN SPORTS (chinsports@aol.com or 212-645-4142). **

U.S. OLYMPIC BODY TO CONSIDER FUNDING COLLEGE BADMINTON

February 14, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - At their meeting this weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) will be discussing and voting on plans to spend up to 8 million US dollars to help fund collegiate and university programs in several of the Olympic sports that have been dropped or are in danger of being dropped from collegiate athletics.

This includes the sport of badminton which has always had very meagre funding at the university level and which had lost its last university scholarship program two years ago when Arizona State University reallocated its athletic budget.

Other sports that are being considered for funding assistance are archery, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, rowing, skiing, swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo, and wrestling.