The London Olympics is invigorating the sports jobs market, creating competition for private sector professionals who can strike sponsorship deals, increase their memberships and raise performance standards.

A survey by Sports Recruitment International, a leading sports consultancy, says the days of administrators accepting low salaries because of their passion for the job are ending, as governing bodies offer salaries of up to £150,000 ($265,000, €190,000) for chief executives and £300,000 for performance directors.