Political Diary

New Delhi, 3 September 2011

Politics Of Sports

QUIT BEING SPOIL SPORTS!

By Poonam I Kaushish

In this Anna season of transparency, our netagan continue to thrive on ambiguity. Kudos to Sports Minister Ajay Maken who’s National Sports (Development) Bill entails sweeping away the cobwebs that ensnare Indian sports in its deadly vicious tentacles. Only to be nastily bitten by his ‘sporty’ compatriots, who not only cried foul, refused to play ball but also tried clean-bowling him for intruding on their terrain. Welcome to the sleazy world of political sports!

Significantly, the Bill to regulate sports bodies becomes imperative against the backdrop of the massive corruption in funding the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The Bill, now sent for re-drafting seeks transparency in the federations overseeing various games in the country, reserving 25 per cent seats for ex-sportspersons in sports bodies, strict anti-doping norms, elections under its supervision et al.

Our netagan’s angst against Maken and his Bill arises over three issues: One, to regulate all sports federations and bring them under the ambit of the Right to Information Act. Two, the 70 year age limit on the sports federations office-bearers. Three, time limit on term. Our ‘un-sporty politicos refuse to buy Maken’s correct assertions that his proposals are not about “more Government” or “less Government” but are simply about going about the business of sports transparently. “Are you saying that after RTI more transparency would come and everything else was hanky-panky before?” they counter.

Said sports ‘big daddy’ NCP supremo Union Agriculture Minister, ICC President and ex-BCCI Chief Sharad Pawar, “I will take this Bill with Sonia Gandhi. Said another, “Maken doesn't know anything that is the problem. Why is he interfering?” Dittoed one more, “We are being painted as villains as if we are gaining from these federations. Instead of showing himself as the savior Maken should concentrate on getting more money, modern technologies and development plans. Why is he concentrating on something which has nothing to do with sports development?” Really?

Now we know why. Think. India has over 40 sports associations, encompassing every game from archery to yachting. Each is headed by a politician or his ‘chamcha’ for years on end. Besides Pawar, BJP MP VK Malhotra, oversees the Archery Federation of India, for decades and is also the acting president of the Indian Olympic Association, Haryana INL MLA Ajay Chautala heads the Wrestling Association, NCP's Praful Patel and Heavy Industries Minister leads the All India Football Federation (Europe’s governing body is headed by ex-French football player) and 83-years old Vidya Stokes Women’s hockey.

Union Science Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh heads the Maharashtra Cricket Association, Cabinet colleagues CP Joshi and Farooq Abdullah lead Rajasthan and J&K Associations and RJD Chief Lalu Yadav controls Bihar’s Cricket, former police officer K.P.S. Gill who knows nothing about hockey is the czar of the Indian Hockey Federation for 14 years. Other sports organizations like table tennis, boxing, judo et al are also led by politicians whose expertise in or knowledge of these games is at best tenuous.

Worse, in most sports, barring cricket, India's global rankings are abysmal and our medal prospects in international events zilch. Shockingly, our national sport hockey team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. In football, India now ranks 158 in FIFA's global chart, below Palestine. Add to this, on paper, the administrators do their bit. In hockey, India had two foreign coaches, yet, all they had to say at the end of their tenures were how poorly hockey was run in the country!

Yet we call ourselves a nation of sport lovers. Spoil sports is more like it. Think. In a billion plus nation only 3 per cent of us play sports. Why do we have only the occasional Sachin Tendulkar, Abhinav Bindra, Vishwanathan Anand, Geet Sethi, Leander Paes and Saina Nehwal? Why can’t we produce badminton players like the Indonesians and table tennis players like the Chinese? Or scout for swimming talent among three years old like Russian coaches do?

Sadly, games after games, year after year, it is the same story. India sends one of the largest contingents, but comes back with wins that are truly embarrassing. Since 1984, we have won only three Olympic medals while China managed 420 in the same period -- including 100 in the Beijing Olympics.

Significantly, most of these bodies are funded by the Government. The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is wealthy, but never refuses public funding in the form of tax breaks from the Central and State Governments, land and “directly or indirectly” benefits from the Government. Example: The Delhi and District Cricket Association gets the Ferozeshah Kotla ground for free but earn crores from matches. Also, other bodies too avail of entertainment tax, IT benefits and custom duty exemptions, which are just like a grant.

All agree that most associations are incompetent and venal and incestuously co-exist on bhaichara. Consider the massive women's athletics doping scandal after attaining Commonwealth glory took place right under the Athletic Federation bosses. The richest body, BCCI’s running is completely opaque. Only last year the ouster of its IPL, aka Indian Paisa Limited, Chairman Lalit Modi was ousted under a cloud of graft charges thanks to the BCCI's non-accountability.

This is not all. More scandalous is the issue of ‘conflict of interest’ that arises from our polity heading various sports organizations. Appalling was the sight of some Ministers un-sportingly attended the Cabinet meeting to discuss the Sports Bill. Underscoring the ‘high stakes’ involved and the murkiness in Indian sports. Remember the serious Commonwealth Games fallouts thanks to multiple Ministers being in-charge of organizing them. As also India’s TV cricket commentators are on the BCCI's payroll.

So, where does Sports in India go from here? Importantly, time to give politicians and babus the boot from sports bodies. Who break bend, warp, twist and ignore all rules, paving the way for mediocrity, degeneration and collapse. Politicians who have little to contribute, but a lot to gain and replace them with fine, upright, capable sports lovers or former sportsmen with a clear mandate to make India a super power in sports.

Undoubtedly, the Government needs to pull the country from this sports morass. The need of the hour demands change. And change can only come about via more scrutiny and transparency, albeit the re-drafted Bill. It should retain most of the existing clauses of the Bill including being run professionally and annual audit. All so vital to clean up Indian sports, make it a more professional affair to ensure accountability.

In sum, it is high time to set our sports house in order.  Sport must become a national priority for India to do well. We will never reach ‘golden’ heights as long as the coaches have to report to a Joint Secretary in the Sports Ministry and players have to depend on official largesse. 

Let’s face it, rescuing sport from the grip of our netagan, deceit and money will be not only an uphill task but a lot of sweat and tears. It is not a question of Maken versus Pawar, Lalu or about “more Government” or “less Government”. It is simply about doing the business of sports transparently. Time to stem the rot and do a Chak De India! Or else reconcile to being a nation spoil sports! – INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)