Senior sports administrators have joined ranks to comment on the government’s handling of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Following a major House of Commons debate on the Games last week, the general consensus seems to be that the government is losing sight of the sporting element of the Olympic legacy, as it focuses on financing other elements of the project.

The Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) released a statement with the views of three major sporting bodies, as well as those of its chief executive Tim Lamb.

“The only new policy on the table as far as legacy is concerned is free swimming,” said Lamb. “The rest of the proposals are little more than existing plans that have been rebadged. So far there has been a real poverty of ambition about the government’s thinking, and there’s an increasing danger that the promise that organisers made loud and clear to increase participation on the back of the Games will not be honoured.”

The chief executive of British Cycling, Peter King, said: “British Cycling made huge strides in Beijing. But a lot of that success is down to getting people involved at the grassroots level. The 2012 Games give us the opportunity of a lifetime to broaden the base not just in cycling but a whole host of sports. Cycling will benefit from great facilities left by the Olympics, but we want to make sure we will be able to fill them with people inspired by the Games.”

Brian Stocks, chief executive of British Gymnastics, also questioned the government’s commitment to the legacy.

“There is always going to be the ‘Wimbledon effect’ from the Games, where for two weeks people try what they’ve seen on TV,” he said. “But we need to see something more sustainable than that, we want to start getting people excited about the Games and we also need to ensure we can cope with demand.

“That will need planning and investment. Without extra capacity, governing bodies will really struggle to deliver the legacy of participation that will make these Games a success.”

Finally, Richard Yule, chief executive of the English Table Tennis Association, said that community sport was the missing link between investment in school PE and elite training.

“Community sport is where the Olympics can make the most difference,” he said. “We have to get the backing of ministers and the buy-in of local government to make the Olympic legacy happen across the country. With the right support, national governing bodies could achieve so much more than ministers are currently aiming for."

This is not the first time that the CCPR has spoken out about the government’s commitment to the Olympic legacy. Tim Lamb said in September that more than half of the 150,000 community sports clubs in the UK were either just breaking even or were losing money.