MELBOURNE Commonwealth Games shooter Craig Trembath has been forced to dump an eBay auction offering himself.

Trembath was yesterday ordered by Commonwealth Games officials to remove the innovative fundraiser from the internet.
The battling Mt Eliza clay target shooter, who runs his own finance company, is the only unsponsored athlete in his team.

“It’s just ridiculous,” he said.

“It’s obviously disappointing they’ve taken this action.

Trembath said he was told it breached the athletes’ agreement; that he was using involvement in the Games for commercial gain without permission.

He was to have taught winning bidders how to shoot and given inspirational speeches.

He was warned he could be forced from the team if he didn’t stop the auction, which had plenty of hits before being pulled.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite said he would talk to Trembath today.

“We have sympathy for athletes in minor sports who struggle but we recently provided money to the Australian Shooting Association,” Mr Crosswhite said.

Posted: 02|13|06 at 8:44 am. Filed under: Auction News.