The Sports and Olympic Minister Hugh Robertson last month revealed plans to merge UK Sport, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust and bring them together under one roof.

Moynihan has backed the plans and appealed for the BOA to be given a central role in any new organisation, which is due to begin after the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

He told insidethegames: "We support the Government's intention to make sure full front-line financial support for the athletes continues and is seen right through to 2012 and beyond.

"That would be our principle intention - to make sure there is strong financial support for the athletes and that Team GB in London 2012 needs continuity of financial support and all the structural support behind it.

"As far as the decision to bring the Government agencies together under one institute we would very much hope we could play a significant part at the top table of British sport."

Moynihan, himself a former Conservative Sports Minister under Margaret Thatcher and a close confidante of Robertson, claims that British sport needs reshaping to make it more functional.

He claims that Robertson is only implementing changes to a structure that the former Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell had admitted was confusing.

Moynihan said: "I recall well Tessa Jowell's comment when presented the map of British sport and saying, 'This is a nightmare structure.'

"It clearly needs focusing to be lean and delivering services to the athletes.

"I think his [Robertson] wide-ranging review and proposals will help in that direction."

The BOA has traditionally kept its distance from being too closely aligned with the Government because it has wanted to protect its independence.

But Moynihan, who is here attending the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games, believes that it is time that for the BOA to become more pro-active in how sport in Britain is run.

He told insidethegames: "We want to avoid overlapping responsibilities and I think his [Robertson] proposals are very focused in that direction and we are supportive.

"We are prepared to be at the heart of British sports policy and to help in any way we can.

"We are all there with the same objectives of serving the athletes.

"If the Government wants us to become more involved we have made it clear we are very happy to talk about how best we can assist and work closely with UK Sport and Sport England in whatever structure he puts in place.

"But there is a long road to travel before his new structure is put in place."

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