Level playing field for all sports
NOC President Suresh Subramaniam
National Olympic Committee (NOC) President Suresh Subramaniam debunks the myth that only sports like athletics can win medals in the international arena calling for a level playing field when it comes to selection of disciplines for multinational events like the Olympics although dampening Sri Lanka’s dream of glory in the Tokyo Games.
“I am targeting Paris 2024 and 2028 Los Angeles. We will never get a medal this year in the Olympics. If you are world standard, you should be winning Asian Games at least. Then you know you have a chance,” he said bluntly.
“Earlier selectors had the view that only four sports can win medals. My question is, have those four sports won medals. Susanthika (Jayasinghe) won 20 years ago. What’s the point talking today? Have you won in the previous two or three Asian Games. We have never won but because Susanthika won you sent a team,” he said.
“As a selector we cannot say swimming can’t win,” said Subramaniam, who gave credit to former Sports Minister Faiszer Mustapha for sending a full contingent to the 2018 Asian Games.
“In my view we have to give everybody a chance. There must be a level playing field for every sport, otherwise we are going to kill the sport,” he said.
“In sports, all stakeholders must work together. National federations, NOC, selectors and Ministry of Sports.”
The former national tennis doubles champion felt it was unfair by children who take up other sports and dream of representing the country in the Olympics.
“When a child takes up to sport, knowingly or unknowingly they have taken it up. Some of them continue and some of them give up. People who are continuing, want to represent the country. So, it is our obligation. We can’t decide what sport can’t represent. No! You have to give them a chance. Then only they will work hard,” he said.
As an example he recalled how tennis suffered when Sri Lanka was suspended in 1978 after they refused to play Taiwan with whom there were no diplomatic ties.
“Tennis took a plunge. It took almost 10 years to come back. Lot of people gave up the sport and took to cricket,” he said.
Subramaniam was of the view that the South Asian Games (SAG) should be considered a stepping stone for every sport.
“To prioritise certain sports is not correct. All the sports must go for the SAF games. Maybe for Asian Games you can pick up a few. You can’t delve on the past. You have to give everybody an opportunity. Otherwise, we can’t go forward,” he said.
He also called for transparency when it comes to national selections in sport bodies.
“Once the selection is done, the selections must be brought to the notice of all the participants before it goes for approval to the ministry. Selectors must say this is the reason I have selected. That is transparency,” he said.
This was the practice when he was chairman of the national tennis selection committee where players and even parents were fully aware of the criteria and process.
“What I did was rules of selection were put on the board. When I had that meeting all eligible children and their parents were invited. Selections were done by the children not committee. I asked for any objections. Not one day were there any objections about wrong selections,” he said.
“This is one of the things I am pushing. Once the selection is done in the federation before sending to the ministry, they should publish. They (selectors) must stand up and say what I have done is right, if not don’t send it. Otherwise, they hide behind the fact that ‘I was appointed by the minister. So, I have to send it to the minister’. Minister signs thinking that they are right. The poor children are struggling and then you lose faith,” he said.
He also called for drastic changes in the archaic Sports Law of 1973 questioning why coaches or even sports journalists are not allowed to hold office.
“Whatever change we are doing we don’t do it for today. We have to make sure it is done for the next 50 years. 1973 sports law still prevails. When you write a rule we have to look at it long term. Not today, tomorrow,” he said.
“I can’t understand why they stop journalists or parents or coaches coming in. If the parent is an ex-champion, I am sure he can contribute more. Selections anyway is done by a separate committee,” he said
“Are you telling me only if you are a coach or parent you will pull for a student? What about a friend sitting in the committee? For me it is rubbish. If a coach or parent wants to serve in the ExCo so what. Apply the rules. Then they won’t violate,” he said.
“I can be a friend of a parent whose son is playing. You think I can’t influence. Certainly I can but I won’t do it. These rules are rubbish,” he said.
“The IOC (International Olympic Committee) rules are very clear. It doesn’t prevent coaches from holding office,” he pointed out relating a story when then Sports Minister Mustapha asked at a meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia whether a parent can hold office. One of the OCA vice presidents from Kuwait replied: “My son is swimming for Kuwait. I am not swimming. You have to be a winner to represent your country. There is no problem.”
“What is the difference between a parent or coach sitting and a friend sitting?” said Subramaniam.
“Whether I have a coach sitting with me or a parent sitting with me, to me it’s not a crime. If you apply rules across the board equally, nobody can violate. There is no issue. Then people will know there is a law you cannot violate but the leader must know not to take sides,” he said.
The bottomline is credibility and merit in the process of selections.
“We should only go by pure performance. We have done a lot of things right. Whatever has happened in the past I can’t comment. We are doing the right thing so that everybody must follow that right path,” declared NOC chief.