Federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis has defended the government's delay in releasing its anticipated report into sports funding.
Ellis on Thursday would not confirm when the findings of the Crawford Report, a 14-month independent review headed by businessman David Crawford, would be made public other than to say it will be released "shortly".
The time taken by the government to release the findings of the report has upset sporting bodies, including the Australian Olympic Committee, and created anxiety amongst many sports fearing their funding could be cut.
"I think when you undertake something as major as a complete root-to-branch inquiry of the Australian sporting structure, including elite sport, including community sport, including the role of the Federal government structures, the State structures, that's a major job," Ellis said.
"We intend to do it properly because we believe that sport is incredibly important in this country.
"I'm not going to apologise for that but I will say that we have received the Crawford report, it's going through internal processes, we intend on releasing it shortly and I really look forward to having a debate which is then based on more than speculation."
Ellis stressed the report was not only about funding but also about major reform of Australian sport and "preparing our structure for the challenges of the future."
The government, in partnership with the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, on Thursday announced an inaugural captains' forum to be held on November 15.
The forum, the brainchild of Wallabies legend John Eales, will see up to 20 captains from a host of sports convene in Canberra for a think-tank on issues and challenges facing sport and the broader community.
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