SIMON Cowell is developing a reputation as TV’s Mr Nice after he stepped in to save an Orpington deaf table tennis player’s sporting dreams.
Monks Way resident James Meyers’s hopes of representing his country at the Deaflympics were almost dashed after funding for his expenses fell through.
His school, Ovingdean Hall in Brighton, held an Elvis night to raise some of the funds.
But this was not enough to get to the £2,800 target so after hearing about the 17-year-old’s plight, X-Factor judge Simon Cowell donated the rest of the money.
James’s mother Heather says he would not be jetting off on Sunday (August 30) to represent his country in Taipei City, Taiwan, if Mr Cowell had not come forward.
She said: “If it wasn’t for Simon Cowell stumping up the final amount then James would not be able to go.
“Thank goodness he came to the rescue.”
Half of the money to pay for his trip had been expected to come from sports body UK Sport.
But the Government made a decision to prioritise Olympians and Paralympians over the Deaflympic team.
Mrs Meyers says this smacks of discrimination and is going to write to the political leaders of every country competing in London 2012 to let them know how the Government treats its deaf athletes.
She added: “Gordon Brown is having to deal with Gadaffi and now he’s going to have to deal with me.
“I’m determined to make sure I embarrass this Government.
“To be picked for your country is the ultimate achievement and when you are let down by your government I find this absolutely appalling.”
A UK Sport spokesman said: “The UK Sport Board considered UK Deaf Sport’s request for funding to send a larger team of athletes and officials to the 2009 Deaflympics very seriously but were unable to offer an award.
“UK Sport’s primary role is to maximise the impact of public funding on excellence in sports competing in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We are currently operating with a shortfall of £50 million to support our Olympic and Paralympic ambitions; and as such, we are not currently able to fund all of those sports at an optimal level for the period up to 2012.
“As a result, this has led to us having to make some very tough decisions and we are phasing out funding of non-Olympic and Paralympic sports beyond existing commitments.
“Having said that, deaf athletes who meet the performance standard for UK Sport’s world class performance programme, and are nominated by their national governing body for funding to enable them to compete at the Olympic or Paralympic Games would, of course, be funded.”
Simon Cowell has links with Ovingdean Hall because his mother lives near to the school.
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