Athletics crawls from the cradle to the pinnacle!

This is the third article in the Daily FT’s fortnightly series titled Business of Sports focusing on the back office of the various sports administered and played in this country. Readers are invited to share their views and express their opinion via email to [email protected] on the features carried in this column so that a greater public participation in sports matters can surface and be debated for the benefit of all.

The National Youth Contingent is on its way to the Commonwealth Youth Championships, something we can all be proud about. The results notwithstanding, the exposure and the dividends of this tour will shed some light on where our basic sport, athletics, is heading!

Even before that reality dawns on us, one can surmise the decadent nature of the whole body politic that governs the sport as it evolves from the primary school level to the spotlighted world stage; a veritable crawl from the cradle to the pinnacle.

Gone are the effervescent days of Susie who rewrote the headlines in recent times and in that process caused a cavalcade of worshipful followers latched to the bandwagon! Without that star quality, Sri Lanka athletics has nothing to boast about except a bygone era or the transformation that dream 2018 may bring if that heady year comes to pass.

Whether the stalwarts who rule the sport will be around when that day comes is a mute point. But they will be determined to stay the course; well, your guess is as good as mine.

The key question then is what really is this prognosis? What is the over-riding cause for concern? And what precisely are the specific deterrents that limit or mar what must be our multifaceted goals? The short answer must rest in the overall administration that more often than not lacks a vision and the determination to put the cause above self. What generally happens is that the powers that be end up mired in petty territorial foreplay rather than zooming in on the grand design and ultimate objectives.

Strong, seamless link needed

Every rookie sports administrator knows that talent is normally discovered at an early stage when a child comes through the primary school system. No doubt the rural schools have made tremendous advances over the last decades and not anymore are the stars of tomorrow emerging from the big schools of the cities. On the contrary and thankfully, these schools do not monopolise the medals and trophies as they did in days past. However, what is important to note is that there is a definite and compulsive need to create a strong, seamless link between the schools (cradle) and the inter-national level (pinnacle).

That is the perhaps the best and most sustainable long-term plan one can conjure. To do that meticulously and gainfully though, two line ministries must collaborate and cooperate to create a Master Plan for Athletics that transcends these two quite distinctive spheres.

Indeed, one might suggest that this must ideally be the platform for all sports because in today’s cauldron of high octane performance, one does not effectively create overnight Bolts; they are nurtured over long sustained programmes, save for the occasional maverick who comes in from the cold and steals the thunder!

It is therefore an opportune time for the Education and Sports Ministries to forge an understanding that produces that critical integration for the benefit of all sports but notably the most basic of all, athletics.

In a recent article, a former DG of Sports of the MOE laid claim to the glory savoured in the 1980-’90s era. Justifiable claim that, if one considers the many men and women athletes who emerged at that time.

Like most such achievements, these accolades are things of the past and laurels that one cannot indefinitely ponder on. The times are changing relentlessly and newer methods are being created each day even as we ruminate and fantasise on what could be. Therefore, the time is now when resurgence in the economy can well fuel the thrust that is so vital to usher in a productive future.

Indian example

The recent action taken by the Indian Cabinet to reject a bill limiting the tenures of its Sports Federation officials makes interesting reading. It is reported that Suresh Kalmadi was the President of the Indian Olympic Committee for 15 years before he was fired after his arrest when graft charges were made against him. Another official was who was sacked was Lalit Bhanot, the Secretary of the Athletics Federation of India.

While the Indian Cabinet in its wisdom has asked for a re-draft of the bill, dismissing clauses that were designed to limit the terms of elected officials, one wonders if an Anna Hazare-like crusade is required to bring a greater accountability from all sports administrators, wherever they maybe.

There are undoubtedly parallels in Sri Lanka and the Indian initiative is something that must create a measure of awareness from the highest echelons of Government. As suggested in this column, the Ministry of Sports must take the lead in bringing about greater transparency into the management of sports.

Codes of conduct and simple undiluted rules must be exercised in order to ensure that the right people marshal the sport. Infinite musical chairs and merry-go-rounds must cease and consistent performance criteria as well as regular behavioural standards must become the order of the day. Crafty machinations to remain in office or seek political patronage to extend the lifecycle do not bode well for any sport and merely postpones the moment of truth and an unceremonious exit.

Greater mission

While the merits and demerits of the Commonwealth Games in Hambantota will be debated in many forums, sports leaders must focus their energies on the greater mission of creating an environment that brings to the pinnacle from the cradle young people of talent and prowess.

A concerted carefully designed process where school-based talent is harnessed and propelled into the national milieu, to be further nurtured and refined over a sustained period, is the bigger challenge for all of us. This can only happen if people in high places cooperate, have a great understanding of the big picture and provide both the moral and political leadership for the sport to reap success over continuous periods.

In today’s context, money matters. However noble ideas may be, without adequate financial resources, high-end athletics (or any sport for that matter), cannot flourish. But money must not become the bane of the sport as we have seen in many instances.

Whatever backroom antics one practices, the ultimate assessment and recognition takes place on the track and field where there is no place to hide. Ulterior motives such as drug-induced enhancement are time-bound and eventually discovered, bringing disgrace and despair after years of hard work.

A new culture of sportsmanship

Officials, who perpetuate claims to posterity and seek office at international levels while their national representation languishes and nosedives, do a great disservice to the country at large. Temporary plaudits are all well and good, but the sports arena is an unforgiving place and without top quality performances by our national squads, pursuing international positions and titles merely translate into a personal fiefdom.

At the bottom of the heap remains the humble athlete or sportsman. Having struggled through immense hardship encouraged by family and friends and guided by dedicated teachers and coaches, a champion arrives on the national or international stage determined to continue the journey to stardom.

As painstakingly demonstrated in the past in flashes of invigorating brilliance, it therefore behooves those people at the helm to herald a new culture of sportsmanship as we traverse the threshold from small beginnings to great heights.