Ministers have devised plans to get slothful Britons active in time for the 2012 Olympics by exploring disused mines, tight-rope walking and playing underwater hockey.

A list of sports eligible for a £180m injection of public funding includes activities so bizarre that MPs have accused the government of funding a new version of Wacky Races, the classic cartoon series.

Activities that qualify for sports funding include side-car racing, baton twirling and cheerleading. The money has been set aside to help to meet a target of getting 2m extra people to become more active.

Ministers have agreed to inject funds into “ultimate Frisbee”, body boarding and tossing the caber. Clubs promoting arm wrestling and skate boarding will also be eligible. People who explore disused mines will qualify so long as they do not stop too often for a breather.

Sport England is putting £480m into traditional sports, such as football, but other activities, designated as sports, will be able to apply for a further £180m.

“Sports are activities that are recognised officially by the sports councils and they are included if they are performed at least with moderate intensity,” said a spokesman.

Don Foster, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for sports, said: “The target culture has gone mad. In a desperate attempt to achieve their target of getting 2m more people involved, they have categorised activities that even people with the wildest imaginations wouldn’t classify as sport. Their activity list is eccentric. It reminds you of the Wacky Races.”

Activities that qualify for sports funding

Horse riding

Horse riding—dressage

Horse riding—pony trekking

Horse riding—show jumping

Horse riding—three day eventing

Harness racing

Trotting

Polo

Climbing—ice

Climbing—indoor/wall climbing

Climbing—rock/rock climbing

Climbing—rope

Climbing—solo

Climbing—sport

Abseiling

Mountaineering

Mountaineering—high altitude

Bouldering

Caving/pot holing

Hockey—field

Hockey—ice

Hockey—roller

Hockey—street

Sailing (cruising or racing)— catamaran and multihull

Sailing (cruising or racing)—dinghy

Sailing (cruising or racing)—ice

Sailing (cruising or racing)—keelboat

Sailing (cruising or racing)—other

Yachting—land

Yachting (cruising or racing)—ice

Yachting (cruising or racing)—inshore/coastal

Yachting (cruising or racing)—ocean

Yachting (cruising or racing)—offshore

Yachting (cruising or racing)—other

Windsurfing or boardsailing

Jet ski-ing/aquabike/personal water craft

Running—cross country/beach/fell running

Running—road

Running—track

Running—ultra marathon

Jogging

Judo

Ju-jitsu

Kabaddi(1)

Karate

Martial arts

Martial arts—Chinese

Taekwondo

Tai Chi

Tang Soo Do

Aikaido

Kendo

Self defence

Swimming—deep water

Swimming—open water

Swimming/diving (indoors)

Swimming/diving (outdoors)

Diving—deep water/free3

Athletics—field

Athletics—track

Kayaking

Kayaking—whitewater

Canoe polo

Canoeing

Gym

Aerobics/step aerobics

Body attack

Body balance

Body building

Body combat/cardio kick

Body jam

Body pump

Body step

Body Vive

Exercise bike/exercise machine/spinning class

Skipping

Boxercise

Conditioning activities/circuit training/assault course/stretching/toning

Cross training

Dance exercise

Health and fitness

Step machine/Air walker/airwalk/airwalker

Keepfit/keep fit/sit ups

Yoga

Pilates

Weight training

Aquafit/Aquacise/Aqua aerobics/aqua aerobics/aqua fit/water aerobics

Walking—cliff

Walking—gorge

Walking—hill walking

Walking/power walking

Rambling

Hill trekking

Ski flying

Skiing

Skiing—barefoot snow

Skiing—barefoot water

Skiing—extreme

Skiing—free

Skiing—grass or dry ski slope

Skiing—mono

Skiing-parachute

Skiing—ribbing

Skiing—speed

Snowboarding

Telemark

Recreational Cycling

Cycling

Cyclo-cross

Mountain biking

BMX

Bicycle polo

Football/soccer (include 5 and 6-a-side and 11-a-side) (indoors)

Football/soccer (include 5 and 6-a-side and 11-a-side) (outdoors)

Futsal

Squash

Racketball

Badminton

Tennis/real tennis/short tennis

Rugby League

Rugby Union

Tag rugby

Touch rugbyWrestling—Cumberland

Wrestling—freestyle/sumo wrestling

Wrestling—Greco Roman

Wrestling— Olympic

Gaelic football

Gaelic sports

Hurling

Irish handball

Curling

Wheelchair sports—archery

Wheelchair sports—basketball

Wheelchair sports—rugby

Wheelchair sports—table tennis

Wheelchair sports—tennis

Motorcycling—motorcross

Motorcycling—off road

Motorcycling—trail riding

Motor racing/banger racing

Motor sprints

Motorcycling—trials riding

Motorcycling—enduro

Motorcycling—super moto

Motorcycling—track racing

Motorcycling—drag/sprint

Motorcycling—rallying

Motorcycling—sidecar racing

Rally Cross

Rallying

Road racing (motors)

Trials racing

Karting

Go Karting

Auto Cross

Motorcycling—speedway

Drag racing

Autotests

Hill Climb

Sky diving

Soaring

Parachuting

Paragliding

Gliding

Hang-gliding

Gymnastics

Trampolining/trampoline

Softball

Baseball

Sub aqua/SCUBA diving

Snorkelling

Hockey—underwater

Octopush

Water polo

American football

Australian Rules

Football

Basketball

Bowls

Camogie

Cricket

Dodgeball

Fives—rugby

Netball

Rounders

Stoolball

Ultimate Frisbee

Volleyball

Floorball

Polocrosse

Tug of war

Handball

Korfball

Lacrosse

Angling

Archery

Arm wrestling

Baton twirling

Biathlon

Body boarding

Bobsleigh

Boccia

Boxing

Cheerleading

Croquet

Dragon boat racing

Fencing

Fives—Eton

Frisby/Frisbee

Golf/pitch and putt/putting

High wire

Highland Games

Hovering

Ice skating

Kite surfing/kite boarding

Life saving

Luge

Luge—street

Medau

Mine exploration

Modern pentathlon

Orienteering

Powerboat racing

Powerlifting

Rafting/white water rafting

Roller blading/roller skating

Rowing

Sea fishing

Skateboarding

Skating—in-line/inline skating

Sombo

Surfing/boardsurfing/board surfing

Surf life saving

Sportsboats

Table tennis

Tobogganing/sledging/sledding

Triathlon

Wake boarding/wakeboarding

Waterskiing

Weightlifting