The 24-year-old made her plea after being named as the winner of the Halberg Award, the country's most prestigious prize, for a second consecutive year.

 

Vili receives an annual grant of NZ$40,000 (£14,116) from Sport & Recreation New Zealand, the country's funding agency, but claims that is not enough and has to work part-time as a teacher to help support herself.

 

 

 

She said: "It costs me 140 bucks (£49.33) to fill up my car and it's expensive for athletes who have to eat a lot.

 

"I'm in my sport because I love it, but there needs to be some value for what I do.

 

"The Government should consider me the same way they consider a major event like the America's Cup.

 

"I don't feel like I'm valued.

 

"I stay in New Zealand because I'm loyal.

 

"If I was doing this for money I could go and compete in France, my husband's country or England because of my father [he was British], because you can make a lot of money, but I don't do that because I love New Zealand."

 

Villi, who was born to a Tongan mother and Scottish father, claimed New Zealand's first Olympic gold medal in athletics at Beijing since John Walker won the 1500 metres at the 1976 Games in Montreal.

 

It underlined her domination of her event .

 

She now holds every major title available to her, including gold medals in the the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the 2007 World Championships in Osaka and the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia.

 

Vili also won the Sportswoman of the Year category last year and she became only the third female to capture the big prize twice in the 60-year history of the awards, which is named after Murray Halberg, the 1960 Olympic 5,000m champion who overcame the disability of a crippled left arm to become one of the world's most successful athletes.

 

Vili followed in the footsteps of fellow athlete Yvette Williams, the winner in 1950 and 1952, and lightweight rower Philippa Baker, in 1991 and 1994, as the only other women to win two Halberg Awards, and the first to score back-to-back wins.

 

She also became the 10th dual winner and first since rower Rob Waddell, the only three-time winner, who triumphed in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

 

Kirsten Hellier, who has guided Vili's career, was also rewarded by being named coach of the year.