Unfolding World Cup
Germany, Argentina and Portugal, along with its superstars, have all been sent packing.
Several commentaries worldwide have attributed mega financial deals to be a disincentive that has become so one sided, that many top flight clubs, leagues and countries have now lost their competitive edge. Big deals in China have drawn away top talent from the game itself, to the peripheral commercial activity fueled by major media networks, unwittingly suppressing the urge to win.
So, what we may be seeing is more top businessmen than footballers. On the other hand, nations with a Football culture but, with limited commercial flamboyance, have thankfully retained the hunger to compete ferociously and wrest the crown, the World Cup (WC), which epitomizes the ultimate triumph in the World of Football.
This unfolding saga indeed gives hope to the smaller nations in the world, when compared with the giants of the game. The taming of Germany by South Korea and the threat Japan posed Brazil, clearly demonstrated that the diminutive Asian nations were not willing to be pushed over by the highest ranked Football nations. Instead, these nations fought hard to preserve their integrity and the counter punch has turned the WC on its head.
With coaching becoming increasingly technical, the simple ploy of denying Messi and Ronaldo of possession appears to have paid off, leaving lesser known mortals to grab the headlines. In that sense, the 2018 WC may have transformed the game once more, giving it a breath of fresh air. The stench of money may, hopefully, be viewed in a different perspective by Clubs, Leagues and Nations worldwide.
So, what does all this ballyhoo mean to Sri Lanka Sports in general and Football in particular? A recent forum titled “Sri Lanka Sports – Crisis within or external”, hosted by the Sunday Times BT Club, brought to the surface the concerns of the public, with a strident cry that something must be done about this sad state of affairs.
The illustrious panel of sportsmen, now in big business, made some interesting observations. They highlighted the politicisation of sports by successive governments, the absence of a robust structure, rampant corruption permeating even the junior ranks and an absolute need for a new look administrative paradigm that allows respected and reliable persons who have played the game/s at the highest level, to take charge of their sport. They recommended that the Sports Law required major surgery, while advocating greater alignment with International norms represented by IOC and other world bodies such as FIFA, IAA, ICC, etc.
In Malaysia for instance, a lean government structure is putting forward the argument that a Sports Ministry is not necessary and that, responsibility be placed with a commission made up of National Sports Associations (NSA). Tall order for sure! But this is precisely where a Legal luminary like the present Minister of Sports (MoS) can play a distinct role in the short time allowed to him, before the next round of elections sweeps him away to other national gyrations.
While the forum itself was heavily skewed towards Cricket, the sound bites were plain to all. It was suggested that the lure of money to fix votes afflicts most NSA’s, so that, the seemingly democratic process is subjugated to a degree that restricts interference by the MoS. To alter such a situation would imply politically undermining any legitimate supervision of the process.
This is not new in the world of sports, with FIFA, one of the biggest proponents of the evil, as evidenced by the slew of scandals still under investigation. The fact that no less than 8 granddads of Sri Lanka Cricket have signed a memorandum calling for an Interim Committee, is an indication that all is not well in the body politic.
The same can be said of Football or Badminton for that matter, which are run without proper and consistent policy or accountability. Much has been written in this column on the subject, time and again, highlighting the fact that Audit Reports are used merely as a document to legitimize an election, and simply cast aside. Its volatile contents are nobody’s baby it appears, with several investigations mothballed or lost in the nether!
In such a morbid scenario, how best can we address the ills of National Football? There are small positive signs with the National Team preparation focusing on the forthcoming SAF Tournament in Bangladesh, come September.
Former Sri Lanka Captain and National Coach Rumy Packeerali is working quietly, away from the spotlight, to build a team that can hold its own in the competition. With support from the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) President and the technical crew, it is hoped that Rumy will succeed in putting together a squad that will have the hunger we alluded to in this discourse. His intimate knowledge of the region and competing teams will hold him in good stead, as he fashions a team and a system that will play quality Football. This is the key for the resurgence of the game, locally.
The National Team is a barometer of the country’s status and a good performance in Bangladesh can pave the way for greater partnerships from all quarters to revive the game locally. The visit of Lithuania will help hone in on the budding squad and hopefully, the training tours to Japan will give our new look contingent a thirst for victory, which we have not seen for a long time. Unless we build that passion within, the aberration of another tour will take its toll and once again drag us down.
If the MoS is to view this positive outcome, it must be rational in its supervision and resort to basics, again something KornerKick has repeatedly advocated. The FFSL should put up its National Football Plan (say for the period ending Dec 2020), Progress Reports must be submitted quarterly against this master-plan, MoS must measure performance and effectiveness (verify accountability – are funds being utilised as planned and does it show targeted results) and apply this as a yardstick to monitor performance over time!
As vociferously submitted by the forum, emphasis on Youth Development must be spearheaded by the MoS jointly with the Ministry of Education, and various models evaluated (Clubs vs Schools). That is a long term investment that cannot be compromised. Academies are now a standard model worldwide, with small nations investing heavily to fast track development.
Whether the FFSL has the will and tenacity to sustain such a programme, only time will tell. But, without doubt, the WC has given us hope that, though money is a necessary evil, hunger is the way to victory!