Can we reverse systemic failures in sports governance?
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Nevertheless, cricket is still the heartbeat of most Sri Lankan cricket fans, whatever the circumstances it may be in otherwise
A few days ago, we celebrated 73 years of Independence and HE the President quite rightly pointed out that public officials must take full responsibility for matters that fall within their purview. Or they must go he did not say, because the occasion obviously called for a measure of solemnity! In a country where everything is politicized from birth to burials, there is a crying need to rise above the layers of bureaucratic quagmire and rely on the sharpened sword of merit. Deliver or depart and while perseverance must be encouraged, we are often compelled to say, enough is enough.
Sri Lanka Cricket brought the worms out of the woodwork when our batters exposed the rot that has set in Sri Lanka cricket, with a woeful walk to the middle in Galle and a quick return to the comfort of the picturesque pavilion! Perhaps, we are being very harsh in our collective criticism when most of us are no better. We seek safety in numbers and do not fall under the glare that our sporting warriors are put under time and again. Little wonder that it is reported that the Lion in our flag requires some tinkering!
Of course the energetic Minister of Sports has not taken kindly to the shenanigans at Maitland Place. He has come down hard on the system and all but sacked the current administration. The first well publicized casualty was the Chief Selector who apparently was tired of calling a spade a shovel! He has paved the way for a new team to take over the onerous task of reshaping our premier squad. Not surprisingly, he has relied on a well-balanced practitioner in Mahela Jayawardena to help craft a new look administration. In plain view, this is no easy task with a superfluous layer placed on top of the elected cricket board who must be scrambling to work out what magic wand could be waved to prolong the innings.
But the key question that must be posed is what besets the vagaries of our NSAs. The NOC President is quoted as saying that there must be a level playing field for all sports. But that calls for a supernatural powerhouse! The number of NSAs on the MOS dashboard is growing each year and one wonders if all these creative fiefdoms must be nourished by one sugar daddy and his mate! It was known that some time back, we managed to jettison ballroom dancing from the runaway list but even if one is obliged to give all the ballerinas an opportunity to blossom and grow, surely there is a need for a classification to be made and our limited resources put where our mouth is! That is a fundamental starting point in a governance discourse, so that Mahela and his wise men at the NSC can focus on what sports best suit our psyche and give us the best chance at accredited international glory.
The first steps taken are praiseworthy for sure. A workmanlike team is slowly but surely taking stock and it is perceived that these knowledgeable mandarins are carving a method that will augur well in the long run. However, what must be realised, is that it is the NSAs that must get their act together. And it is these entities that must come under the microscope of the NSC. The NSAs must submit a strategic plan, a veritable road map that demonstrates what they intend to achieve locally and internationally over a 3 – 5 year period. Once, such a plan is carefully scrutinised and placed in a national portal, the follow through may be easily monitored. Otherwise what is proposed and what ultimately happens, more often than not, is left to chance and umpteen reasons are proffered to justify the deviations. The old adage that any road is good enough if you do not know where you are going, rings true in many sports bodies.
All NSAs are representative bodies and structured on the prevarications of the past. Convenience and longevity has created a labyrinth of organisational subterfuge that ensures a long stay, never mind the results! Most are honorary positions that convey a sense of déjà vu; serving for the love of the sport, Sir! Therefore, one must be thankful to these everlasting chieftains without whom sport will go nowhere, is the classic eyewash, perpetuated over the years! Governance calls for more than such archaic and avuncular syndromes! Sport is very much a professional occupation in today’s context and performance largely defines ones hot seat. So there is no room for repeated failure. Deliver or hop off the bus and let someone who knows the route, drive it. It’s that tough and necessary!