Recently when I happened to watch Dangal, I was very much inspired by the portrayal of Indian wrestlers. Bollywood has become a mirror of success stories emanating out of sports and athletics. Along with highlighting sheer determination and perseverance of sportsmen, movies consistently too have exposed that dark underbelly of apathetic sports administration of the country. If railways is a sector that is said to be the one completely untouched by reforms, sports is the most exploited one under the weight of bureaucrats and the politicians.
Infestation of political bigwigs in the sporting arena has harmed it making it lacklustre. Distribution of portfolios in the Indian government is disappointingly reserved for political heavy weights rather than experts. And sports have become the burgeoning casualty of the same.
Ever since Indian Olympic association has been constituted, never it has been so tainted as it was during the tenure of Congressman turned sports administrator Suresh Kalmadi. Kalmadi was earlier embroiled with his and his sons firm benefitting from attempts made in 2007 to introduce formula one in the country. But the real eye opener about IOA was organising the coveted common wealth games. Mired by high level corruption, mis management and poor organisation, the games were like a climax to the burgeoning corruption taking place behind the doors of the IOA. As a matter of fact, I do not find any difference between the BCCI and IOA. Owing to the tenure of more than a decade, Suresh Kalmadi had turned IOA into his personal fiefdom which catered to favours and infestation by his cronies. As seen in the BCCI, even a tenure by Dalmiya or Pawar had concentrated the board to administer in their realms of favouritism. In that context, the BCCI has become a body encapsulated in the hands of a mighty few which has seen it having tussle with the govt of India in the past. When it comes Kalamadi, IOA was hyper concentrated with the organisation being a puppet in the hands of just one man and his political foundations.
When IOA made Kalmadi and Chautala as life presidents of the IOA, the media and the opposition was quick to jump the gun and blame it on Modi.
As I mentioned earlier, the decision to anoint the tainted was not taken by the central govt but it was in a way meant to reward the disgraced veterans of an institution which still is controlled by the bureaucratic pawns of the same systemic cronies that were harboured by Kalamadi and company.
I have always believed constructive criticism of any govt and dissent is a must in any form of healthy democracy. However the attempts to link this emerging facade with the Modi Govt was plainly fallacious. Although Kalmadi refused, Chautala grabbed the offer and IOA was furthered dismayed into abyss.
Perhaps taking a leaf out of International Olympic committee which had banned the IOA, the sports ministry of India suspended the same after this decision to make Kalmadi and company as life president was made.
Media quick waiting on the prowl to attack the govt at that opportune time didn’t seem that excited with this move by the govt. Perhaps the sharpening edge with which the opposition and the media were planning to gherao the govt blunted instantaneously and again denied them with any kind of advantage politically they wanted to derive from the situation.
The IOA has clearly violated the boundaries of good governance by appointing corrupt individuals like Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as it’s life presidents and didn’t even respond to the show cause notices that were served by the govt.
It’s quite important to note that bodies like IOA and BCCI have become extra constitutional oligarchies with the advent of time. As seen in the past, attempts to clamp down BCCI has met with so much of a resistance. Modi govt has certainly taken a subtly commendable step in trying to rein in IOA which needs internalised cleansing. In order to see the country in the annals of countries progressive in sporting arena, those regressive sports bodies need a check mate and resurrection catering to better governance.
The Govt needs to take more bold steps and the media needs to stop over obsessing itself with Modi and parlay a more balanced outlook.