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Do we need the honorary title in Indian sports?

opinionDo we need the honorary title in Indian sports?

The Olympic results of our country has shaken up the people in power yet the administrators or ‘so called sports mentors’ are not ready to give up their positions. The latest conflict between BCCI and the Justice Lodha Commission has been hogging limelight. As an ex-player I wonder why we have all these controversies especially when almost each and every one of our association office bearer is ‘Honorary’!!!

From my playing days till now, our certificates are signed by association officials with a prefix of Honorary, it has taken me few years to understand why all these people spend their valuable time for work without pay!! Now I realize that (barring few) everyone has a motive-direct or indirect. The infighting for post and hanging on to a position for long years after being criticized by everyone for a job they never get paid has a hidden interest.

India had the pleasure of hosting CWG 2010- the event was seen as a game changer for Indian sports in terms of all aspects i.e. management skills or organizing skills but unfortunately the opportunity was messed up by our officials. The power of ‘Moolah’ was so powerful for the honorary posts that they negotiated the nation’s pride for personal gains, the latest controversy in the game of cricket which is no less than a religion in our country is just extension of these games.The order of Lodha panel was to question the distribution of large money to associations without any valid reason because the money which comes to coffers of BCCI is of the Indian cricket fans.

Do we take this as a “silence fund’ or a fee for supporting!!  If we treat this money as public-money then we must ask for the details as in case of even small fund of  public authority’s to be spend proper tenders are called and sanction is done then why then same formula is not applied to our sports Associations? 

Till date no one has challenged the authority of Honorary body about the spending although controversies have always circled them. It is surprising that each association were given crores without any projections or future plan being submitted, no formal proposal were given; no committees were formed to sanction such large funds; no feasibility report was sought- the money was just sanctioned.

 Do we take this as a “silence fund’ or a fee for supporting!!  If we treat this money as public-money then we must ask for the details as in case of even small fund of  public authority’s to be spend proper tenders are called and sanction is done then why then same formula is not applied to our sports Associations? the money they spend is also public fund.

I wonder when our highest governing body members i.e. Member of Parliament leave their regular profession for public service then why these Honorary officials can’t do the same. If they feel passionate about the game they must leave the greener side of life and do some sacrifice. It is high time we have a clear policy for such office bearer and allow them cost of their time and hold them accountable for the responsibility they take because whenever you question them they easily evade responsibility by stating that they are ‘Honorary’.

It is call of the Nation that we have people who can put their careers at stake and work for betterment of sports for the country. The hidden agenda behind the honorary era should end and a new beginning is made. Moral should be more important than the moolah for our associations.

The columnist is a sports guru

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