What ails our sports bodies?

With every passing year, Sri Lankan sports recede further into the shadows, an also-ran competitor, in many sports not even qualifying to compete at top international events. The one exception being the game of Cricket, a game played mainly among former British dominions and colonies. Today the mainstay of Cricket are the South Asian countries, which provide much of the money and a vociferous fan base for the game. The game of Cricket itself has morphed, South Asian politics has become an influential factor, Presidents of countries telephone each other about a Cricket match, bookies and match-fixing once whispered about, now an open secret.

In most of the other sports, it appears we are invited to international tournaments through politeness, our teams have a short life span at these competitions, often ousted in the first round. And, adding to the embarrassment, it is not uncommon to see athletes and even officials disappear in the host country, a mindset preferring an illegal immigrant status to returning home. And, they say, sports build character.

While our athletes are generally knocked out in the qualifying rounds, in inverse proportion a besmirched sports administration enjoys a long life, grabbing office, year after year.

It seems sports administration in this country imitates its politics. Sri Lanka’s performance (economy) since independence has been lacklustre, yet a select set of politicians keep presenting themselves at every election, political careers started in their teens go on well past the proverbial three score years and ten. Their lame performance is not an issue, after all, they win elections. Until this present Government was elected to office, it was simply a matter of one set of failed politicians replacing another, alternately. That had become the ‘system’.

If sport is said to be character molding, our sports officials are a blight on good character, role models for sleaze and baloney. As has been pointed out by several concerned sports lovers, in many important sporting associations there are but a handful with even a basic educational qualification like the Ordinary Level examination. The rest, without even a basic education, get into office in sporting associations and then talk of long-term planning, developing talent and even ethics.

We are not suggesting that academic qualifications are essential for success, many among the rich and famous in this country were untutored. Perhaps this limitation of schooling was what coarsened them, enabling them to concentrate everything on making money, no matter how -bribery, commissions and black money. In a private business, the businessman carries the ownership of the dishonesty that goes on. However, when they hold office in sporting bodies, they are dealing with a community, the followers of sport look up to them. The history of the officials, their character and culture, influence   how matters are viewed and handled in that sporting institution.

Let us say a man who supplies inferior coal to the Government now seeks social recognition by holding office in a sporting institution. He will prepare; now moving to a posh residential area, buy a shiny big car like a Benz, join the Colombo golf club, donate money to politicians, cultivate old boys of his school and ceaselessly name drop. At the big match he will be toasted with beer (all free). The open-mouthed and gullible stakeholders in the sports associations are hugely impressed with the show, since he has made so much money, maybe he can uplift the game?

The guy in fact never did a proper business. His operation was not business, it was skullduggery.

First, he establishes a shadowy contact overseas who can supply him the coal (quality is not important, this contact can supply anything, oil, guns, stuff that our governments buy). Our man then lobbies the Government officials, he convinces them they need the coal. Convincing is easy, our officials are malleable. The deal is made. Our man became a millionaire overnight. The mark-up on the coal is unconscionable. It is public money, no one really cares.

It is rumoured the man has millions of dollars in overseas tax havens. Even in Sri Lanka, he moves in the new rich circles, men on the make.

The contemptible conduct of this devious man is not our main concern. It is what happens when such men get control of sports bodies that concerns us.

Of course, he does it democratically. He obtains the votes of the affiliated clubs of the association. It is easier than winning a tender from the Government. The representatives of the affiliated clubs are of doubtful quality; they are impressed by his Benz car. If there are any lingering doubts, our man can do things to convert the doubters. After all, he is the richest man they have ever seen.

Up to this day, all efforts by the Sports Ministry to curb the monopoly on Sports office has failed. Although there is a two-term limit (for the President and Secretary of a sports body) many a time the exception has become the rule. They simply maneuver one of their pawns to the position for a year or two and then resurface.

It can be argued that the domination of sports by a few undesirable wheeler dealers only reflects a larger social malady. By and large, these associations are made up of persons inadequate for the role. They are humble men looking for a patron who can reward them with little offices and small trinkets. The patrons are the big-time rascals.

Many a time the Sports Ministry has attempted to reign in the corruption so prevalent in the sporting bodies, however falling short. We use the word corruption widely here. These city slickers are too rich to make money from the paltry bank accounts of sports bodies. Their motive is larger; using the office to meet politicians, cultivate public officials, make contacts overseas and build up their social status; things they dreamt about growing up.

One of the suggestions that can be looked at is to make the two-term limit permanent, in the sense that such a holder should never hold office in that association again.

There are other ideas being proposed that may discourage undesirable persons from running for office in sporting bodies. It is suggested that they be required to provide their educational qualifications and their sources of income in the nomination form. This will at least enable the club representatives to understand the background of the person aiming for high office in their sports association.

The one thing these bogus sports promoters will not allow is for their financial records going public. If elected to office on a sports body, they should be required to provide their Income tax number to the Sports Ministry. Their sources of income and the tax number can be routed to the Inland Revenue Department for verification.

Many of these so-called sports promoters, being of dubious financial history, will not risk such information with the officials.

For too long our sports lovers have been disappointed by the pathetic performance of their teams at international events. It is time for strong measures to clean up a sporting bureaucracy, which presently is only humiliating the sports lovers of this country.