Perennial soul-searching exercise

Even as 2016 gets confined into history, a look at the sports arena with specific relevance to India makes for a mixed reading as we head into 2017.

The tall claims and brouhaha about ‘this extraordinary performance’ or that ‘incredible showing’ notwithstanding, the fact of the matter is that at the ground level there has been no earth-shaking achievement when spoken in the global context. Lest one forgets, this year had Olympics, and cricket and junior hockey World Cups.

Yes, India did corner accolades in several spheres but most have been either about reclaiming lost glory (junior hockey World Cup) or breaking into newer leagues.

There were out and out Indian firsts like PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and Dipa Karmakar; India at 135 in FIFA rankings; number one spot in Test rankings, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin and a magnificent Test baptism for Karun Nair; Sania Mirza back as the Numero Uno and Pankaj Advani adding yet another glittering world billiards trophy.

On the administrative front, Narinder Batra became hockey world’s most powerful man when he took over as the President of International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Leaving aside typically self-manifested ‘patriotic’ considerations, if one were to derive an unbridled inner joy that standout in the ruthlessly competitive world then that has come from truly inspiring performances by a select few – London bronze medallist Vijender Singh, who remained unconquered since turning a professional boxer; the ageless tennis wonder Leander Paes,

who added to his legend as being amongst the greatest doubles players of all-time and golfer Aditi Ashok, who as a prodigiously gifted 18-year-old, was rewarded with the Ladies European Tour's Rookie of the Year honour.

Special mention goes to Deepa Malik, Mariyappan Thangavelu and Devendra Jhajharia, who all, despite emerging as Indian firsts, proved their worth in the Rio Paralympic Games and gave more emotional reasons to smile and cheer.

Then we have the overwhelming rise of kabaddi in the popularity stakes. The ‘rural’ sport has been a robust success, which gains credence from the upwardly rise in its fan-following in urban India and also in terms of television audience, particularly in the wake of Star Sports’ Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, which India hosted. Exposing the myth of it being a rugged masculine sport, the pioneering Women’s Kabaddi Challenge has been a heart-warming revelation. Incidentally, kabaddi is the only discipline where India remains ‘invincible’.

Meanwhile, as the New Year dawns, sportspersons will resolve to acquire the ever elusive killer-instinct for achieving more on-field successes. Irrespective of the sport, competitions can only get tougher, thereby implying that the nation needs to come up with policies that can pay handsome dividends on the world canvas.

And, that is precisely where the Damocles Sword hangs! Inept administration has been the perennial bane of Indian sport. It does not apply to an odd association or federation here and there, they are dime a dozen, and all over. Even a professionally-run Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is a victim of this greed-driven highhandedness, Lodha or no Lodha.

The nation has been shamed, time and again, by nefarious elements coming in the garb of ‘administrators’ and true-blue ‘promoters’. What is more painful is that the ego-ridden battle for administrative one-upmanship has spilled on to the arena, leaving many a sports talent in the wilderness, clueless as they remain about their future.

It would be stupid to cry foul of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) because of the recent move to ‘rehabilitate’ Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala. True, the Olympic body has erred but who do we have pouncing on them for their excesses - a handful of equally unworthy administrators from other disciplines. A deeper probe into their state-of-affairs will make us sulk in indignation, particularly when we have to search for the lesser devil.

The whims and fancies of the ‘honourable’ ministers are exposed whenever a sports crisis hits the nation; the policy-makers end up as laughing stock on each occasion. Take for instance, the latest decision to suspend the IOA. Little do these wise men know that the government of the day can disband an existing body and not the Olympic Association itself! That is the sole prerogative of the IOC, which is exactly why Chautala is harping on that survival mantra.

It is pathetic that at the end of every season, our introspection gives the same nauseating feeling only for it to resurface at the next such soul-searching exercise.

A way forward, despite being a revolutionary measure, would be to emulate the Chinese or Russian models. Talks like ‘democratic rights’ will seem like ridiculously insane pretexts when sports promotion is paramount and State funding and accountability are crucial.

We tend to embrace an athlete after the individual makes the world grade of his or her own accord. Only the luckier ones manage to get sponsors.

If democratic apparatus is what matters for the nation to emerge as sports super power (it will take eons), one can achieve a semblance of nearness if we, at least, swear by the American and European structuring where political interference is either non-existent or is at the bare minimum.

As it remains too Utopian a thought, Indian sport will remain in the pits bar the odd Himalayan effort by the naturally endowed sportspersons, whose exploits we can raise a toast to, in the fond hope of them being worthy role models for the next generations.