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| SPORTS TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 16, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
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Federations
should be made accountable Leander-Mahesh
duo rediscover winning formula TEEING-OFF |
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Federations
should be made accountable The reported move by the Ms Uma Bharti, the Union Sports Minister, for a probe into the financial dealings of the sports federations, is to be welcomed. It is not clear what the compulsions were for the Minister to go after the sports federations but there is no denying that the move for a thorough probe into their working would clear the air considerably. Some of the sports federations have so far been above reproach but there are quite a few, in fact could be more than just a few, who need to do a lot of explaining. And the sports federations should welcome such a probe as it will go a long way in defining and separating the guilty from the not so perfect. Ms Uma Bharti’s call for a probe has come close on the heels of the arrest of a senior official of the Weighlifting Federation for alleged inability to account for money given by the Ministry. Also in mind of the Minister perhaps was the embarrassing disclosures of money spent by the Board of Control for Cricket In India, a body which has so far remained outside the purview of any governmental interference. It has, all these years, religiously protected its independence and at one stage earned the reputation of being one of the best run sports bodies in the country. Alas it is a reputation which it no longer can boast of. The Board in recent years has come under scrutiny because of the match-fixing scandal and the bitter infighting which it could not hide or sweep under the carpet. The match-fixing affair was bad enough and could be attributed to the influence of the one-day game but it will take quite a bit of explaining for the board as far as the queries and objections made by the Income Tax Department. The Board and the sports federations may claim that the probe ordered by Ms Uma Bharti infringes on their independence but then independence does not mean they can function as they please. They could have all done so if they had not been dependent on the government for money and aid in various other forms. But since they are not always able to raise money on their own and have always have to go to the government for financial assistance they must also submit to any inquiry made into the manner in which the money obtained from the government is spent. There is nothing wrong in the government asking for an account of the money doled out to them. The probe, as and when it is completed, is bound to present an interesting insight into the financial working of some of the federations. And Ms Uma Bharti has been more than generous when she say that the concerned federations will be given a choice to either taking action against such erring functionaries or face derecognition. derecognition is perhaps too severe a penalty since it engulfs the whole sport. Here it would be proper if the Ministry asks the federation to bar the erring officials for life after taking appropriate action. It is a pity that this sort of a probe was not ordered to be launched earlier. Here one can thank the controversy surrounding the Afro Asian Games and the Prime Ministers intervention which restored the multi-game extravaganza for the steps taken by the Sports Minister. If one remembers Ms Uma Bharti was not for the Games but having been overruled has acted as a spur to bring the erring federations into focus. She has done it with rare flair. Some people might say that she has taken this action with a vengeance. But then sports federations and officials cannot be a law unto themselves. While asking government officials to probe into the financial dealings of the federations it would have been very proper if the Minister had also asked for a review of the general functioning of the federations particularly in respect to the efforts at boosting the performances of the competitors and also in the election process. First and foremost the Ministry should review the government policy on allowing officials to continue holding posts for years altogether. It would be much better if the old system by which a person was allowed to hold a position for one term and a second term only on a two- thirds majority. At the moment, taking advantage of the relaxed rules, some of the federations appear to be having the same president and secretary for years altogether. The incumbents do not appear to have any thoughts of relinquishing their hold on the posts. The weightlifting official who was reported to have been arrested was over 80 years in age. A very ambitious personality indeed . One remembers him as having been holding an important post even as far back in the late sixties. Why should a man of that age continue to hold charge of such an important sport for years altogether. The same is the case in table tennis where M.C. Chouhan has become a permanent fixture (over 25 years and perhaps more). He is certainly closer to the Shakespearn’s adage of a second childhood. Why can’t he just retire. The standard of the game under him appears to have ground to a halt. It is exactly where it was when he took over if India’s rating in the international sphere is taken as a measure. Athletics is another sport which needs to be looked into. The discipline has money these days and athletes are sent out regularly for meets. But as far as international performances go India is still among the also-ran particularly in terms of standard. Let us not discuss the amazing records set during the last few years. They are not accepted by the athletics circles, having been thoroughly exposed in each big international after another. The Sydney Olympics was a fiasco. The Secretary of the federation, Lalit Bhanot, who has been there from before the nineties should have resigned on moral grounds. He has to take for the blame the blatant misrepresentation of Indian athletics at an international venue. No one asked the athletes to perform miracles. All that was demanded was that the athletes selected should perform to the standards reached on home soil. Nothing less, nothing more. No one had thought of medals. They were simply out of reach of Indian athletes. But so far there has been no reaction to the disaster at Sydney. In fact, the AAFI is now talking about sending a team to the Commonwealth Games. What for ? Remember the Asian Games in Beijing. Coach Joginder Singh Saini had the guts to resign there and then after the poor performances of the athletes. It was a fine gesture. Things have hardly improved from those days. The Secretary of the Federation has kept mum on the increasing complaints of athletes taking performances-inducing drugs. There have been debates on the issue with Gurbachan Singh Randhawa among others, openly questioning the performances of the athletes. Yet the federation officials continue to stick to their posts. There is no question of accountability as far as they are concerned There is also the question of maintaining records. In the old days, during the time when the late Mr P.K. Mathur was at the helm of affairs, the AAFI used to bring out an year book comprising results of all the meets and plus a ranking list. This practice was revived when the late Mr L.R.Khanna became Secretary in the early 70s. With help and assistance from Mr P.K. Balu, he even brought out decathlon and pentathlon (later heptathlon) table books. And mind you the federation did not have sufficient funds then. One thought with changing times and cash flow much easier, the Federation would restart the whole thing. But unfortunately no thought has been given to this very important aspect of functioning. In fact, it would be a surprise if the federation office is able to recall the performances of any particular domestic meet in recent years. Ms Uma Bharti would do well to demand
that federations bring out such yearly publications and also make the
President and Secretary accountable for the performances of the
respective teams in the international sphere. As mentioned earlier the
performances accepted outside of the country should be the same that is
done here. Nothing more. That is a very reasonable expectation. |
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Leander-Mahesh
duo rediscover winning formula The ball rolled nicely for ‘Lee’ and ‘Hesh’ at the Roland Garros as they struck the pot of gold, at the end of the turbulent tunnel in their second coming together as the world’s hottest doubles pair. It was a remarkable week of achievement for Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi as their second French Open doubles title victory put them firmly on top as one of the most versatile doubles duos. The estranged pair had come together at the fag end of the 20th century, when their respective career was heading towards the no man’s land, and they were becoming the no where people. After the heady successes of 1999, when they captured the French Open and Wimbledon titles, and were finalists at the US Open and the Australian Open. Leander and Mahesh parted company due to some misunderstanding. Each one decided to go his own way. But their ‘own way’ proved to be a treacherous route for their tennis and after floundering on the Grand Slam circuit with different partners in 2000. Leander and Mahesh understood the enormity of the situation. Wisdom dawned on them that if they wanted their tennis to blossom to its truest potential, they had better come together once again, before it got too late. And they did precisely that. The French Open crown is proof of their indomitable spirit to succeed in the face of heavy odds. The triumph at Roland Garros helped the Indian pair reinvent themselves as the world beaters. This was their first Grand Slam title in two years and it came after a remarkable fightback. Playing in Paris as an unseeded pair, they ousted the 13th-seeded Czech pair of Petr Pala and Pavel Vizner in straight sets. They had won their maiden Grand Slam title on the very same court in 1999 — the year in which they had a dream run on the Grand Slam circuit. "This is very, very special. We believed in ourselves. If we played to our potential, we knew we could beat anybody", said Leander, after capturing the French Open crown. But it was no cakewalk to the cup for the Indian duo. It took Leander’s aggression at the net and Mahesh’s passive brilliance, to cruise to the throne past the Czechs, who had shown uninhibited aggression to put the Indians on the backfoot in the early part of the first and second sets. The Czechs had made four Tour finals before coming to the French Open. But Leander and Mahesh proved a cut above them in the crunch situation and that indeed separated the champions from the also-rans. "We believed in each other, and that’s what mattered", noted Mahesh. This belief in their invincibility as a doubles pair had forced Leander and Mahesh to come together after a lot of bad blood letting in the early part of the year 2000. A thaw in their relationship emerged during the World Doubles Championship at Bangalore in December last year and thereafter, things just fell in place, with both the players coming together for the Davis Cup campaign after a long hiatus, against Japan in Japan. Though Mahesh was not fully fit, he played in the doubles to give solid support to Leander as India once again cruised to victory on the strength of Lee’s on-court brilliance. They then notched up some notable wins on the Tour, before hitting the pay dirt at the French Open. Looking back it’s indeed a remarkable story of perseverance and poise that brought back the two talented players together after they seemed to be having irreconcilable differences just a few months before. Both Leander and Mahesh would like to forget the year 2000 as a bad dream. Not only that they split up but also both suffered injuries. Mahesh was out of action for five months with a shoulder injury and post-surgery recovery while Leander was laid low by a wrist injury. Both physically and mentally fatigued, Leander and Mahesh took a sabbatical from each other for a few months before coming together to chart out a new course, which has given Indian tennis a fresh shot in the arm. After his golden run in 1990, when Leander made the Australian Open boys final, captured the Wimbledon junior title and made his Davis Cup debut against Japan in Chandigarh, all at the tender age of 16, 1999 was perhaps his best year (not discounting his remarkable achievement of winning the bronze medal in the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, to become only the second Indian to win an Olympic medal in an individual event), though this time he had to share the spotlight with the gangling Bhupathi. Their well-wishers and fans fervently hope and pray that they scale greater heights in their second avatar as Grand Slam champions. Tennis fans are eagerly looking forward to the Indians’ outings in the Wimbledon and the US Open championships in the coming months as their confident performance in the French Open, has injected fresh hopes among tennis lovers. Last year, after they parted company,
Leander and Mahesh had played with different partners — Leander with
Jan Siemerink and Mahesh with German David Prinosil in the French open.
While Leander and partner bowed out in the first round, Mahesh and
partner crashed out in the second round. It was an abject lesson to the
duo that they can conquer greater heights only in each other’s
company. And they seemed to have learnt the lesson pretty quickly. |
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TEEING-OFF The Professional Golfers Association of India (PGAI) has acted judiciously in continuing with the Tiger Sports Management (TSM), which has done a lot in promoting and popularising golf in the country for the past four years. The International Management Group (IMG) wanted to make an entry into Indian golf, wanting more of the sports pie after securing sponsorship rights for cricket. The PGAI seemed caught in two minds but "putted" steadily to let TSM continue for at least one more year of the five-year contract. The TSM has served the cause of golf stupendously. It has successfully conducted 22 events and the prize money has grown substantially. The two-member team of Joy Chakravarty and Ashwan has fed the media, print and electronic, in providing ready-made reports of the events taking part in different parts of the country. Had PGAI broken the contract, it would have been grossly unjustified. The IMG might have offered better financial terms but certainly would not have equalled TSM’s service and efficiency. In the concluding tournament at Bangalore, Mukesh Kumar of Mhow retained the title of the ‘Mahindra Champion of the year’. It was a contest between him and Vijay Kumar (Lucknow) and Mukesh emerged victor. Vijay had won the title for the first two years. The India Tour has turned out to be a happy hunting course for caddy-turned professionals as most of the amateur-turned pros concentrate on events taking place abroad. The caddy-turned pros feel "at home" at home instead of taking part in competitions abroad where a player loses heavily if he is unable to make the "cut". Many caddy-turned pros have claimed substantial money during the past four years since the circuit was initiated. Their lifestyle has undergone a seachange. The money in the Indian circuit is growing. The Mahindra prize money has also increased and it continues to increase. This is a welcome sign. Mukesh, for example, will get Rs 8.5 lakh this year after claiming Rs 7 lakh last year. His total earnings this year have been Rs 21.5 lakh. The amateur-turned pros have not made as much progress during the year as they ought to have. Their technique shows improvement but not the mental sharpness, which is the key to success. Soon Kapil Dev will be joining the ranks of pros. After playing superbly among amateurs, he feels he is fit enough to encounter the rigours of the pro circuit. He hits a long ball, is consistent in the short game and possesses enormous fighting temperament. He is sure to perform creditably since he is extremely disappointed with the goings-on in cricket. His doings in the pro circuit at home and abroad will be keenly watched by his numerous admirers throughout the country. Will he be the tiger on the prowl, as he was in cricket a decade ago? In relation to pro golf, the progress of amateurs has been far from satisfactory. This is because the Indian Golf Union has not been as active as it should be. Some analysts say that it is virtually a defunct body, promoted by a handful of people for themselves and their wards. The IGU continues to be a "closed
shop". It should amend its constitution and bring in people, who
are full of ideas. In amateur players success lies progress of
professional golfers. The calendar for amateur golfers should be much
stronger than it has been. The selection of teams, particularly of
juniors, should be purely on merit and skill. The year that ended saw
many complaints against the IGU. |
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Indian victory laudable Saurav Ganguly, captain of the Indian cricket team, and all his team-mates deserve high praise for winning the first Test match by eight wickets against Zimbabwe. They had not won any match in the 15 years outside the subcontinent. The team played with discipline and dedication. But I am worried about the poor performance of Ganguly who failed badly in the first innings. He must concentrate on his batting. SUBHASH C. TANEJA, Rohtak
Naming stadiums This is with reference to a report ‘Stadium named after Bhutia’. The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Mr Pawan Kumar Chamling, deserves praise for his bold decision to name a stadium in the district town of Namchi after footballer Baichung Bhutia. Almost all stadiums in our country in the past have been named after politicians. No stadium has been named after living legend Milkha Singh. Flying Sikh Milkha Singh brought honour and glory to our country in the field of sports at the international level. He won four gold medals in Asiad and is the only Indian athlete who won a gold medal in athletics in the Commonwealth Games. NARINDER SINGH, Chandigarh
Ravneet Ricky Punjab cricketer Ravneet Ricky has been knocking at the doors of the BCCI for a fairly long time. He is a talented, dashing and prolific opening batsman who really deserves a better deal. He has the ability and technique to excel at the highest level. He is known for his agility and has the potential to be a great asset to Indian cricket. He has showcased his batting prowess on numerous occasions. He has demonstrated his feats in World Cup under-15, junior World Cup, Vizzy Trophy and Ranji Trophy. In spite of his sterling performance he is not being considered a force to reckon with. What else will he have to prove to impress the BCCI bosses? TARSEM S. BUMRAH, Batala |
