Statement from Michele Sandstrom, President, Target Pistol Australia
On behalf of the TPA Board and TPA National Council
Dear Members,
On behalf of the Target Pistol Australia Board and TPA National Council, I am pleased to advise members of the formalisation of two athlete support initiatives designed to assist our developing and internationally aspiring ISSF and WSPS athletes. These initiatives reinforce TPA's commitment to nurturing the next generation of athletes who aspire to represent Australia at Olympic and Paralympic level, ensuring our sport continues to have a strong presence on the world's most prestigious sporting stage.
The first initiative is the TPA Athlete ISSF Scholarship Fund, which has been established to support developing athletes who are consistently performing at A Grade level or higher in their chosen event or events. The purpose of this Scholarship is to help athletes manage the financial demands of training, competition and development, and to encourage continued progression within the sport in the lead-up to 2032.
The Scholarship Fund is intended to provide practical assistance towards costs such as competition entry fees, travel and accommodation for coaching and competitions, equipment or maintenance, and training or coaching expenses. Scholarships will be offered twice each calendar year, with one round announced at the ISSF National Championships and a second round in November. Funding allocations will be subject to the annual budget, the number of applications received, and the strength of those applications.
To be considered, athletes must be current financial members of a TPA-affiliated club, actively compete in TPA-sanctioned competitions, regularly achieving A Grade standard scores in recognised competitions, demonstrate a strong commitment to ongoing training and competition, and represent the sport in a professional and positive manner. Applications will be assessed against published criteria, including consistency and standard of performance, commitment to the sport, future development potential, and contribution to the positive representation of Target Pistol Australia.
The second initiative is the TPA Funding Guidelines for International ISSF/WSPS Athlete Support. This program is designed to assist eligible TPA members selected by Shooting Australia as non-funded or partially funded members of an Australian international team competing at ISSF or WSPS events where Olympic or Paralympic quota places may be secured, and/or Minimum Qualifying Scores may be achieved.
Subject to approval and budget availability, TPA may contribute up to 75% of approved self-funded costs for eligible international events, including airfares, accommodation, ground transport and competition entry fees. Athletes seeking this support must show a clear commitment to training and competition, regularly compete at TPA and Shooting Australia-sanctioned events, demonstrate measurable performance progression, and submit a post-competition report to TPA after returning from the event.
These initiatives reflect TPA’s commitment to supporting athlete development in a responsible, transparent, and sustainable manner. They acknowledge both the dedication required of athletes pursuing international success and the importance of maintaining a strong Australian presence at ISSF and WSPS competitions, World Championships and ultimately the Olympic and Paralympic Games. These programs are designed to supplement athlete costs; they are not intended to fully fund participation. All funding decisions will remain subject to eligibility, assessment outcomes, available budget and the broader interests of the sport.
We encourage eligible athletes to review the relevant policy, guidelines, and application materials carefully when they become available, and to prepare applications that clearly demonstrate their training commitment, competition history, performance progression, pathway alignment, professional conduct, and intended use of funds. The relevant documents are available on this web site.
TPA is proud to support athletes who are committed to excellence, personal development, and who aspire to represent Australia with distinction at club, state, national, and international levels.
Michele Sandstrom
President, Target Pistol Australia
On behalf of the TPA Board and TPA National Council