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The decision of the International Boxing Association to provisionally suspend the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) for irregularities in the latter’s recent elections exposes the rot within sports administration in the country. That the IABF suspension follows that of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is not surprising either, the common link between the two being new IOA president Abhey Singh Chautala. The Haryana politician had contested the IOA elections as a representative of the IABF. In September, Chautala was nominated to the newly created post of IABF chairman to circumvent the government’s sports code that stipulates tenure and age limits for sports officials. Meanwhile, the Archery Association of India, whose president V K Malhotra has served in that position for 40 years, was also derecognised by the sports ministry for violating the sports code.
All of this exemplifies the vice-like grip of politicians over Indian sports. Elections to the various sports bodies are straightforward political contests with little thought given to electing the right man for the right job. In several cases the same political personality is seen to be holding critical administrative positions in multiple sports federations for years together. Ironically, politicians who rarely see eye to eye on public policy matters have no qualms about collaborating on sports. Hence, tainted Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi is seen supporting INLD’s Chautala’s candidature in the IOA. This incestuous politicians’ clique is eating away at the innards of Indian sport.
Noxious politicisation is the primary reason why a country of 1.2 billion people produces so few champions. Funding for sports bodies is a waste, as politicians and their appointees use it to disburse patronage. The existing system needs to be dismantled and a new one put in its place. Politicians have no business governing sports and must give way to former sportspersons or other professionals associated with sport. With their knowledge of and feel for sport they can mentor young athletes and raise sporting standards many times over.
(Source: The Times of India dated 10-12-2012)
