We have just now witnessed the war between the Indian hockey players and the association, wherein the players finally won. They won not because of the magnanimity of the association, but due to the huge public outcry and the contributions made by some business houses to pay the players dues. If not for the public outcry the association would have continued to bully the players and then chosen a Z grade to represent India at the world cup. Who in the association cares as long as he / she gets his airlines tickets, 5 star hotel stay and daily parties wherever the association meetings are held. They have money for all this, but have nothing to pay the players.
What the players did this time was perfectly right and perfectly timed. Crudely we can say that the players had the association by the balls. It is also highly commendable that the media and the public stood behind the players and put and end to this nonsense quickly.
This particular situation is not restricted only to Hockey. All Indian sports including athletics, wrestling, archery, boxing, football suffer from the same. A few years ago when Mr Shahnawaz Hussain was the sports minister glimpses of a party of the athletic association of India in a five star hotel were shown on TV. Most of the attendees were having a gala time drinking expensive liquor and posing blatantly in front of cameras. Yet this same association said that they did not have the money to pay for the athletes food and milk while they were undergoing training in camps. There are no modern stadia anywhere in the country, no infrastructure, and not even the basic needs of the players and athletes and sportsmen are met. Nobody is able to answer as to where the millions of rupees sanctioned in the annual budget towards national sports go. And nobody cares to find out.
Most of the heads and administrators of these sports bodies have had nothing to do with sport in their lives. They are politicians who have somehow sneaked their way into these bodies and hijacked them, to gain status, free foreign trips with families, eat, drink and make merry in 5 star hotels all the while when Indian sport has been dying a slow and painful death.
Even though the cricket board is rich with tonnes of money, its board members do all kinds of nonsense except promoting the game of cricket. They have turned the sport into business as the Income Tax commissioner has herself pointed out in today’s newspapers. Where is the effort by the board to promote test cricket which is the purest form of cricket. In fact if they have their way, no test cricket will be played in 5 years time. Our heroes in the board will see to it.
A wrong perception has been spread around by vested interests saying that former sportspersons cannot run the game because they lack administrative and management skills, but the state of Indian sport clearly shows as to how the so called people with administrative and management skills have destroyed all sport in the country over 60 years. Yet they don’t want to give up.
However all is not lost yet and we can change this negative situation into a positive one. We have a media today which is alert and active and this hockey episode conveys a very positive message that the general public along with media support can change things. We must somehow all join together and with the help of the media sweep away all these parasites that are running Indian sport today. They simply are not fit to occupy these positions. It should be seen that senior sports men from the past who have represented the country occupy all important positions in all sports bodies. They can hire professionals to manage money and administration. This will bring back passion and interest. Strong sports bodies who have sport at heart will surely encourage young people to take up sport seriously. With proper management and accountability industrial houses will surely come forward and contribute towards the betterment of Indian sport. Today they are discouraged in doing so because they see their money going down the drain, as it is being swallowed by corrupt officials. If all this happens we will surely see a positive change happening in Indian sport is less than 5 years. I for one am 100% sure.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
I sympathize with Mr Devegowda & family
The recent outburst by Mr Devegowda against Mr Yeddi the Chief Minister of Karnataka is understandable and one ought to sympathize with him.
A man who held power for long either directly or through proxy is somehow not able to digest the fact that he is no longer in power and not able to influence anyone either in the state or at the national level.
Even though he and his family have accumulated enough wealth over the years both through fair and foul means, these days the money making machines have run dry and without money the Gowda family does not know how to run the party ar create trouble in the state.
He had banked hopes first and was very confident on being a king maker at the national level with his single digit number of MP's and was making loud noises at the time of the general elections. He was very confident that the congress would come to him with a begging bowl for support. In the end all his plans bit the dust. His son was seen sneaking into Mrs Sonia Gandhi's house covering his face, the purpose of which was to beg for a ministerial berth. The congress plainly said NOTHING DOING.
The next plan was to bring down the Yeddi government through some crooked means and with the congress support. But this venture too seems to have failed after how the Gowda gang backstabbed both the congress and the BJP the last time. The congress is in no mood to extend any support to the Gowda clan as they have seen enough of this family in the past.
Today this family has become untouchable and a laughing stock in the state. Added to this is the likelihood of losing large chunks of illgotten land along the Bangalore Mysore corridor if the project goes ahead, has simply driven the senior Gowda out of control and he does not seem to have control over his senses.
Therefore i fully understand his outbursts and what is going on within him. After decades in politics failure stares at him during his final years, and he is simply not able to digest this fact. The ghost of Ramakrishna Hegde seems to be haunting him now.
It is therefore time for him to quit politics and retire and also for his sons and family to follow him. There are many other business opportunities available in today's progressive India and they should choose some other option for themselves and not politics. Their presence in politics has only brought misery upon themselves and the citizens of Karnataka.
A man who held power for long either directly or through proxy is somehow not able to digest the fact that he is no longer in power and not able to influence anyone either in the state or at the national level.
Even though he and his family have accumulated enough wealth over the years both through fair and foul means, these days the money making machines have run dry and without money the Gowda family does not know how to run the party ar create trouble in the state.
He had banked hopes first and was very confident on being a king maker at the national level with his single digit number of MP's and was making loud noises at the time of the general elections. He was very confident that the congress would come to him with a begging bowl for support. In the end all his plans bit the dust. His son was seen sneaking into Mrs Sonia Gandhi's house covering his face, the purpose of which was to beg for a ministerial berth. The congress plainly said NOTHING DOING.
The next plan was to bring down the Yeddi government through some crooked means and with the congress support. But this venture too seems to have failed after how the Gowda gang backstabbed both the congress and the BJP the last time. The congress is in no mood to extend any support to the Gowda clan as they have seen enough of this family in the past.
Today this family has become untouchable and a laughing stock in the state. Added to this is the likelihood of losing large chunks of illgotten land along the Bangalore Mysore corridor if the project goes ahead, has simply driven the senior Gowda out of control and he does not seem to have control over his senses.
Therefore i fully understand his outbursts and what is going on within him. After decades in politics failure stares at him during his final years, and he is simply not able to digest this fact. The ghost of Ramakrishna Hegde seems to be haunting him now.
It is therefore time for him to quit politics and retire and also for his sons and family to follow him. There are many other business opportunities available in today's progressive India and they should choose some other option for themselves and not politics. Their presence in politics has only brought misery upon themselves and the citizens of Karnataka.
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