Can audit reports benefit sports; for example, take a close look at Football!
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The only pride Football possesses at present - Football House
A recent news item carried widely in the print media referred to statements made by the Minister of Sports (MOS) where he expounded on an interesting thought process concerning Governance in Sports. In summary, he went on to say that he was even willing to sacrifice his prerogative in the interest of sports. A laudable thought indeed, and it appears that the MOS is ready and willing to address the fundamental issues that govern sports today!
When you speak of Audit Reports, what comes to mind is essentially Financial Audits. While that is important and obviously a basic measurement of what transpires within a sports association, in fact what is perhaps as important is a review of the overall performance against an approved plan, something very few sports associations are prone to do or are subject to sharp scrutiny. The MOS has opted to appoint a Legal Committee as an immediate measure. Being a legal luminary, that may be a zone of comfort for the current MOS, but what is more relevant is an apparatus within the Ministry of Sports itself that meticulously monitors each registered sport on a regular basis. There must be within the Ministry, knowledgeable officers who will overlook each sport and keep the DG or the Secretary updated on the status of the associations, which then the MOS and his senior team can evaluate and remedy before the sport slips into a morass of despair from which scaling back is an enormous task. We believe that such a structure exists, but it is probably the competence or a robust operational process that is lacking. Furthermore, the absence of a transparent vehicle such as a national web portal that keeps the various developments or its non-performance, that the MOS must address. The public will then be made fully aware of what each sports association is achieving or not achieving on a regular basis and drive initiatives from a larger stakeholder base, than from the few officials that make it their prerogative and private preserve.
Football is a classic example where for years a feudal system kept the lid on what appeared to be a very benevolent and efficiently run organisation. A seamless succession from term to term by a dictate that transcended an authentic electoral process suppressed the values of a game that had slipped from disgrace to a tragicomedy beyond the comprehension of many. When a regime change finally to pass, a period of intense rivalry resulted in intense board room squabbles, all but mired the FFSL in a constant battle of accusations and counter-accusations. The sport itself saw highs and lows with an ill-defined blueprint stuck in a quagmire of bitter recrimination. The current administration is a victim of such circumstances. It is indeed fortunate that despite a serious debacle in football standards at an international level, the FFSL conspired to elect a past national captain as its President. The hope that a new captain at the helm will deliver a better formation for the game appears to be stillborn with a systemic maladministration holding up a confluence of talent and purpose that must come together to revive football fortunes. As national coach, we also have another past national captain, but whether these top players have the management skills to revise a sport suffering a long bout of dementia is left to be seen. The fund flows from FIFA and AFC augmented by occasional support from the MOS keeps a moribund Football House intact. International football politics props up the powers that be with timely visits and grandiose statements made by dignitaries who are more concerned about their vote bank than what ails the sport in Sri Lanka. Numerous articles and appeals have been made by football stalwarts, commentators and well-informed enthusiasts but neither FFSL, FIFA, AFC or MOS have thought it worthwhile to invite a broad consensus, arguing that an elected body is a democratic justification to leave the sport where it belongs; a FIFA ranking at # 200 at the last count!
No less a personage than the Auditor General himself made some scathing remarks at a discussion of the Sports Law at the Ministry Auditorium recently. He charged that sports have a worst form of corruption comparing it with the endemic type of governmental corruption that we have experienced in this country for decades. He went on to say that financial misdeeds in some sports and the lack of transparency whatsoever,are a bane that audits have exposed. The publication of a book documenting financial misconduct and other related matters, he felt may create a healthy climate for sports administration in the future. All sport lovers will welcome this initiative as it is public funds that are being wasted or misused. His advice to place such information on the internet is indeed a bold step that the MOS must pay heed to. That the Solicitor General endorsed these views strengthens the case and encourages all sports legislators to act promptly to address this lacuna in the sports environment and demand greater accountability from all controlling bodies.
In football circles for instance, many audit reports from the AG have highlighted gross violations. However, absolutely no follow up action by FFSL has been initiated nor has the AG’s department brought into question these cumulative issues over a long period of time. On top of this, a fraud of approximately Rs.25M allegedly committed by its own Finance Manager which was discovered late last year, is still under investigation. Little is known about the outcome of inquiries and efforts to recover this sum. Reports that a special committee of the FFSL has been finally constituted to inquire into this situation is a positive determination by FFSL. It must take the opportunity to probe several such instances and lay the ground work for better financial management of substantial football funds that flow despite substandard performances on the field.
With the World Cup looming ahead in the next few days, the people packing their bags to Moscow will be many. Misplaced funds or recurring audits will not dampen their enthusiasm to go watch Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo and a host of new talent display their skills and take their nations to glory. That is a far cry for a nation slumbering at # 200 in FIFA rankings, but it can at least take a good hard look at its audits over the years and come to a conclusion about what ails Sri Lanka Football!