Country athletes the big winners

• 192 regional athletes receive more than $250,000 in scholarships

• Funded by Royalties for Regions through $3.6m Regional Talent Development

Almost 200 Western Australian regional athletes have been awarded 2012 Country Athlete Scholarships.

More than a quarter of a million dollars has been allocated to 192 athlete scholarships across 33 sports as part of the $3.6million Royalties for Regions Regional Talent Development Network.

Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron said the $252,250 of 2012 scholarships were designed to help regional athletes offset costs that supported their daily training and, in most cases, allow them to compete in events they might otherwise be unable to attend.  

"The State Government knows sporting talent isn't limited to the cities, so the opportunity to help isolated athletes is important in a State as big as WA," Mr Waldron said.

"It's tough for aspiring athletes living in regional Australia and yet there's a goldmine of talent out there.  Who knows where we might find the next sporting star or a future Olympian'."

Numerous scholarship winners have gone on to excel in their chosen sports, including Fremantle Dockers player Anthony Morabito, BMX rider Lauren Reynolds, cyclist Scott Sunderland, basketballer Mark Worthington and golfer Kristie Smith.

The scholarships cover a wide variety of sports, including cricket, football, tennis, surf lifesaving, surfing and athletics.  More unusual sports supported include underwater hockey, wood chopping, clay target shooting, roller sports and flying disc.

Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls said he was thrilled that scholarships for regional athletes were being supported with State Government Royalties for Regions funding.

"It's wonderful the State's sports stars of the future can be supported through this scholarship program and those living in regional and remote areas have the same opportunities as their metropolitan counterparts," Mr Grylls said.

"This funding enables the sporting talent in our regional areas to be fostered through financial assistance to these young athletes in their home environment."

      Fact File

• Athletes receiving scholarships range from 13 to 21-years-old

• Athletes represented all nine of WA's regional areas

• Recipients include:

  • Mandurah's 15-year-old bowls competitor, Dayna Cant

  • Boyanup's 13-year-old WA State Junior Trap Team clay target shooter, Fraser Prowse

  • Bunbury's Sebastian Wallace - Australian National Boxing Championships 44kg Junior Division silver medalist

  • Kalgoorlie-Boulder's 13-year-old BMX World Championships competitor, Laura McLerie

• List of scholarship recipients available at: http://www.dsr.wa.gov.au

• State Govt's Royalties for Regions program administered by Dept of Regional Development and Lands: http://www.rdl.wa.gov.au 

Sport and Recreation Minister's office - 6552 6100

Regional Development Minister's office - 6552 5500