How Scottish Independence could change sport in the UK

In 365 days time Scottish residents will vote in a referendum that could change the future of the United Kingdom forever, in this post I will be exploring how Scottish independence could affect athletes both north and south of the border.

According to BBC Sport, the Scottish Sports Minister, Shona Robison believes that, should Scotland be granted independence, it could compete at the 2016 Olympics under St Andrew's Cross.

Among the criteria to receive a National Olympic Committee (NOC), is being an internationally recognised independent state, which could prove difficult to achieve within the limited time frame.

Although Robison draws parallels to Montenegro which became independent in 2006 and managed to compete in the Beijing Olympics just two years later, which proves it is possible.

However it should be noted that the referendum on independence only has the power to start discussions between in Edinburgh and Westminster over Scotland's detachment from the rest of the UK, which could postpone Scotland's sovereignty indefinitely, making it challenging for Scotland to receive a recognised NOC in time for the Rio games.

But how successful will Scotland be in the Olympics?

During the 2012 London Olympics Scottish athletes were part of teams that were responsible for winning 12 out of 65 medals for Team GB. Nevertheless only 3 medals were won by Scottish athletes competing in individual events.

In the 2010 Commonwealth games, Scotland achieve 10th place on the medal table, with 9 gold medals and 26 medals overall. I would consider this to be low for a country as developed as Scotland with a sophisticated sporting infrastructure, even with consideration to its relatively small population.

That is not even giving consideration to the cut in funding that Scottish athletes could face if Scotland does leave the United Kingdom; most athletes rely on UK Sport for funding but that funding could be withdrawn for Scottish athletes post 2014. Not to mention sponsors, who may not see financial benefits in supporting a Scottish athlete, who would be unlikely to receive media attention south of the border after the referendum.

Furthermore, Britain's greatest ever Olympian, Chris Hoy, said in May that Scottish athletes would suffer as they would be restricted from certain training venues and would not be able to train with as many experienced athletes like he did when he trained in Manchester.

In conclusion, Scottish Independence would harm Team GB due to the loss of some of the nation's best athletes from the team, while also badly endangering the dreams of potential Scottish Olympians.