Not all sports are equal; some exalted, some left to toil without reward!
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Only a handful from her village in Mullaitivu gave Vijitha a deserving welcome after her feat at a Mixed Boxing Meet held in India
When young Vijitha from the outback of Mullativu returned to the island having clinched gold at a Mixed Boxing Championship in India, it was left for a few villagers to fete the lass and welcome her home. Even the much heralded Boxing Association seems to have missed out on the recognition she was due. There will of course be myriad reasons why this could not be. Such is the reality of our lives and even in the firmament of sports, glory is as selective as a dream come true.
Not so much did it take for our swashbuckling cricketers who wrested the Asia Cup and brought on its heels the valiant netballers who swept aside the opposition to be crowned, Asian champs. It is said that success has many fathers and to boot, you can add a few mothers, who scream their hearts out to see their children triumph and navigate to the threshold of recognition, praise, awards, fan clubs and money; dollars at that. No one should grudge these fine sportsmen and sportswomen their day in the sun or under the lights, in some of the world’s biggest stages. The scribes went to town and though it was stated that one swallow does not a summer make, it is broadly accepted that our lads and lasses have turned the corner and can eye bigger plums on the world stage.
Not surprisingly the high and mighty all trooped in to steal their share of glory. The brand new State Minister of Sports, good soul that he is, showed up at the BIA ahead of the mob. A former sportsman as he claims to be, did represent the national character of what many believe is a resilient nation in the throes of surviving its own vicissitudes, never mind the few who are thrown into jail for their trouble. Of course to the manor born, our popular former minister and rugby star exclaimed that sports runs in his blood while the Hon. Minister of Sports (MoS) who it appears has come to stay, summoned a meeting of all former ministers to develop another strategic plan for sports.
This initiative is not to be dismissed lightly; sports fans observed that stalwarts from both sides of the divide showed up to put their minds together for the benefit of sports. And to go one better, the realisation dawned again, that making a direct connection with the Education Ministry made a lot of sense. Not all together a new playact but something that must happen even if one were to say, better late than ever.
While all this back to the drawing board machinations were taking place, social media in particular has been ablaze about the magic of Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Wanindu Hasaranga who somnolently took the game away from the Pakistanis, having shown the door to the Indians and other pretenders to the throne. Hasaranga is now among the world’s best ranked all-rounders. But for the former, divine intervention has been the answer, as one maverick pastor is now preaching, and sadly the buccaneer batsman who overran the skinfold test to play what was a memorable innings, must thank his lucky stars that he did not throw it all away and leave our shores. Didn’t our President exalt the exemplary Dasun; we have all to rise from the ashes as he and his mates showed us, the chief citizen was brave to suggest! Sri Lanka Cricket in a moment of exhilaration, gave the fair lasses of Sri Lanka Netball, Rs.2M each for their pains in Singapore and topped up this largesse with a donation of half a million dollars to the Apeksha Cancer Hospital.
So, that is the glorious upside that is replete with all the energy one can muster. What about the rest? There is no doubt that the MoS cannot spread its resources thin and foster all of the 70 plus NFs that lay siege at its doorstep with the perennial ‘kanalauwa’; need more money, something it has very little nowadays. While the former minister structured the National Sports Council (NSC) and linked to it, a High Performance Unit (HPU), with the hope that it will remain in place even when political changes take place, must now rue the day, when a lack of resources is reversing those noble thoughts. It is no secret that many athletes who had signed contracts are uncertain of the funding that was extended. On top of that, imports of sports goods are hugely restricted; the multinational superstore Decathlon announced suspension of operations recently. It is important that the MoS examines these downturns and make provisions for our best talent at both the Senior and Junior levels. Otherwise, one can expect a huge drought in the future, something we understand the NSC Chairman has promised to sort out quickly.
When the MoS takes a good hard look at its national sports, it must no doubt look at its best prospects. It must realise that we cannot be champs in every sport nor are medals the only criteria that deserves support. So, like in most sectors, prioritization will be a compelling reason to take a long term view. Good solid administration at the NFs must be a compulsory determinant in such an exercise. As proposed in these columns, the NOC can play a vital role in such a programme because of the expertise it can muster from its international parent, the IOC. Take a look at football and the multiple irregularities that are being exposed daily. Why is the MoS tolerating such misdemeanors and why indeed is FIFA playing ball with the current administration?
We saw a recent report of the Tourism Minister regaling the media that he has obtained a donation of a brand new stadium from the State of Qatar, on a privileged recent visit. Surely, the football community in
Sri Lanka will tell you that it is the last thing they need. Beggary is fine tough luck, as long as we do not take it to ludicrous limits. What this particular sport needs is first and foremost, a clean administration. The FIFA/AFC delegation that visited recently must work with the MoS to deal with this imperative, not merely usher in the lineup for the World Cup which is surely the agenda on the cards now.
It is time the MoS takes stock of all the registered sports in their stable and classify them on the merit of a balanced score-card. This will tell them where the emphasis should be placed. Merely, promoting bandwagons and carnivals are not going to improve the quality and performance of our athletes in any of the disciplines. A well-grounded programme with precise international standards as our benchmarks is a start. Commercialisation in sport is something one cannot ignore but here again a well-balanced interface that does not sell souls at the cost of the sport and its dedicated athlete, will pave the way for greater harmony among the many sports in this country.
| Latest news reports confirm that an Extraordinary General Meeting held last Thursday, endorsed the New Constitution in the presence of FIFA and AFC observers. President Jaswar Umar, it appears, had the backing of a majority of the leagues, though many abstained from the vote. Meanwhile, a SJB parliamentarian raised questions in parliament as to how a gazette notification gives the FFSL an extended date for the next General Assembly and Election. The member claimed that the gazette notification has been fraudulently issued by the MoS DG without the knowledge of the Minister of Sports, a serious charge indeed! Clearly, a penalty shoot-out is on the cards in the coming days. One can only wonder if this is the way a sport is nurtured in this land of paradise! Playing football via gazette must be the new norm for our friends from FIFA. The World Cup in Qatar come November must be the magnet that makes all this possible. | |