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The missing policy

LENIN GANI
At a recent gathering of heads of sports federations there was a repeated call for constructive criticism but unfortunately it seems our honourable sports minister failed to understand the crux of the matter. It is the solemn duty of journalists to address the issues based on what they know. The essence of good journalism is always to write the truth.
And if you look at the way these sports bodies are being managed one cannot help but criticise them. There are currently more than 30 sports federations in operation and of them the majority is quite frankly absolutely useless. We don't wish to specify the number for fear of upsetting them but they know very well which ones we are referring to.
Another meaning for sports management in our country is a
license to misappropriate funds while claiming that is due to a shortage of cash the performances of their respective athletes are affected because they are unable to purchase necessary equipment.
And then there are well-documented cases of windows of opportunity being opened for those who choose to set forth in a foreign land while representing the country. Rarely is a Federation bothered to take any action because they lack accountability.
Membership of a federation has its rewards. That person becomes very influential within his locality as he vested with a great deal of power. But more often than not he is blinded by greed and does little in the way of developing sports activities.
However, since there are no measures available to punish him with, he is let off the hook.
Also let's not forget the 'foreign
trip syndrome'. Of course, we are talking about those officials who never miss an opportunity to go abroad as part of the contingent. The classic episode involving the hockey team showed how the system has gone out of control.
The Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) thought it would be a good idea to allow two officials to travel with the team at the expense of players. Ultimately it hampered the team's chances at the Men's Asia Cup. When the issue was raised the BHF general secretary, who has been serving for ages, responded with a very poor excuse as a defence. He of all persons should have known better.
Also take the ineptness of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) after the country won the third edition of the SAFF Championship in January. After the all-too familiar outpouring of congratulatory mes-
sages the BFF has now forgotten how to build on the success.
If that is one part of the story the other half concerns the little or no activity of those let's say minor federations.
It is only in a blue moon that we hear of their existence. Really is there any point of having a federation that neither evokes mass public appeal nor does it expect to earn the country fame at the international, world or Olympic level?
Presently most sports bodies receive an allocation from the National Sports Council as part of their annual budgets. But since there is no accountability on the part of receiving federations so they are not obligated to reveal their financial reports. In other words transparency is definitely missing.
Clearly what we are driving at is the immediate formulation of a proper sports policy. It must be a rigid framework that outlines the rules and regulations, the way bodies are to be financed. More importantly the set-up of a sports body ought to be non-political with a clause stipulating that the tenure of a federation chief should be fixed according to a period of time lasting no more than two years.
Federations must be made accountable for their actions and performances. If they fail to reach certain set targets they must be penalised. Furthermore, it is about time something is done to streamline our oversized sports arena to a manageable number.
It is fair to say that some sports like weightlifting, cycling, kho kho and bodybuilding will never reach the dizzy heights of cricket. On the other hand, the chess federation deserves kudos because the officials are always busy holding tournaments round the year. They have even managed to attract sponsors at their own initiative.
At the end of the day sport needs a new sense of direction. Simply holding roundtables, seminars and presenting national achievement awards will not produce the right results if we continue to look the other way.