Winners and losers in the £315m windfall

Athletics, hockey and gymnastics have been hit by a new round of funding cutbacks as Sport England announced their financial plans for the next four years today.

Sport England have warned governing bodies they must start hitting participation targets or face more cuts. Their stance comes a week after a National Audit Office report told funding agency UK Sport to take a tougher line on giving money to the country's top athletes ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

From April, Sport England will invest £315million into the 32 leading English sports until 2009. Despite concerns over falling lottery ticket sales, the funding programme is the biggest ever commitment to sport by the government agency. It aims to raise participation at grass-roots level and increase success on the world stage.

Of the £315m being invested, 65 per cent will come from the National Lottery and 35 per cent from money raised from taxes.

The biggest handout will go to football, which will receive £57.8m over the next four years to be ploughed into the game's grass-roots and community facilities. Cricket will receive £18.4m, swimming £17.8m, rugby union £17.3m, tennis £16.4m and badminton £16m.

Sport England will monitor each sport closely and will get tough with governing bodies they decide are run badly.

Athletics, beleaguered by political infighting for decades, has had its funding reduced as have hockey and gymnastics because they "underperformed" in the past.

Cycling, rowing and sailing have been hailed as examples of sports who have used their money efficiently through better administration.