The Australian Sports Commission launched its new Winning Edge targets last month with its AUD$132 million (£72 million/$94 million/€69 million) funding directed at those sports with the greatest medal potential.

The Pararoos, the nickname for the team, are ranked outside the world top ten and not judged to be serious medal contenders for Rio 2016, leading to them losing their annual subsidy of AUD$175,000 (£96,000/$164,000/€120,500).

They did not qualify for London 2012. 

"Our funding for the Paralympic football programme has basically been put on ice," Paul Brown, the Pararoos head coach, told ABC.

"We have state programmes all round the country, but the national programme is going to be no more because they just won't continue with our funding."

The Pararoos were formed for the Sydney 2000 Paralympics, where they finished fifth, but failed to qualify for London 2012 ©FFA

Brown has been in charge of the the team since 2006. 

It had been founded in 1998 so Australia would be represented at Sydney 2000, where they finished fifth. 

Football Federation Australia (FFA) took it under its wing in 2005. 

"This is a difficult situation for me because I was told to keep quiet about the situation, but the programme is more important than me," said Brown.

"At a time where football is becoming more and more popular, and there's thousands of kids out there with varying forms of CP (cerebral palsy) and mild brain injury, they're not going to have a Pararoos squad to aim for.

"We're very, very successful internationally.