AUSTRALIAN Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes missed out on millions of dollars in Labor government funding because the money was tied up in paying for sports administrators.

The Australian Sports Commission had 780 staff in 2010 who had to be funded before programs for athletes could receive financing.

Funding was allocated to a dozen grant programs that did not enhance athletic performance. More than $3 million was spent over two years on media grants, which promoted female athletes, but did not assist in enhancing performance.

The mismanagement by the previous government meant Australian athletes were robbed of the same opportunities their foreign competitors took for granted because funding got lost in layers of bureaucracy.

AUSSIE LARRIKIN GENEVIEVE UPSTAGES KYLIE AT THE GAMES

media_camera Fireworks light up the sky during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland / Picture: AFP

Australia capped its worst Commonwealth Games performance since 1986 on the back of the London Olympics, the worst in 20 years.

In Glasgow, Australia won 49 gold medals and 137 in total, compared with 74 gold and 177 in total at the previous games in Delhi.

The federal government last night committed to cutting administration staff at the ASC by 40 per cent to free up funding for athletes.

Sports minister Peter Dutton said “we have work to do”, but said athletes should be congratulated before a post-mortem begins.

The federal government spends about $195 million on sport — $120 million on elite sport. English athletes receive about $225 million.

There is a view among Australian sports officials that a funding increase of $25 million a year is required, but Australia does not have the money in the budget.

Australian Commonwealth Games officials and the Australian Institute of Sport will begin a review after a poorer than expected performance in Glasgow.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite said Australia could be left behind if there was not a change to funding. “I think our levels of funding and support for our athletes need to be seriously looked at,’’ he said.