The only solution is the compulsory appointment of accomplished and knowledgeable sportsmen as professional CEOs who will administer the sport cleanly
Indian sport is in a pretty pickle at the moment. While the Indian Olympic Association remains suspended by the International Olympic Committee, the Indian boxing federation has met a similar fate at the hands of the international federation and the government has derecognised the archery federation.
At the heart of the matter is how elections are handled by these associations, which are usually headed by politicians or bureaucrats who have mastered the art of manipulating a captive vote bank and retaining control over the affairs of sport.
Veteran sports administrators of the country have established such a hold on the federations that not even the most idealistic retired sportsman would consider getting involved in administration since he would have no chance of surviving the vote bank politics to serve sport even in an avowedly honorary capacity. The bigger shock is the cloud that now develops over the participation of India’s athletes in various international events even though provisions do exist for them to take part as individuals under the Olympic flag.
The IOC’s position on the suspension of the IOA is to do with the federation of Indian sporting administrations choosing to follow the government’s sports code. Curiously, there is a lot to commend in the code, which is mostly drawn from the Olympic Charter and which calls for an upper limit on the tenure of officials and their age. For instance, octogenarian politician V.K. Malhotra has been at the helm of athletics for 40 years. In effect, the system is such no newcomer, however well qualified to administer sport in a professional manner, has a chance to shape Indian sport unless he pledges allegiance to those who have perfected the art of staying in power.
The cricket board, which handles a hugely popular sport into which tons of money pour from television rights and advertising, is an exception, because it can command autonomy while using its financial clout to keep former players actively involved in the promotion and development of the game rather than its administration, which again is in the hands of amateurs who get plum posts with perquisites of travel and entertainment. Most other sports come under the umbrella of the IOA, which is irretrievably in the clutches of vested interests.
The manner in which a tainted official has defied the IOC code of ethics to get elected as the IOA secretary-general after facing imprisonment on serious charges of financial fraud with regard to running the Commonwealth Games lays bare the insouciance of administrators. The only solution is the compulsory appointment of accomplished and knowledgeable sportsmen as professional CEOs who will administer the sport cleanly while leaving the politics of elections to those willing to enter the quagmire.