Discrepancies galore

Sports governance in India has hit the nadir, or so we are made to believe. The brouhaha over the Indian wrestlers coming out in the open against the Wrestling Federation of India has shocked the collective conscience of the nation. For elite wrestlers like Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia to come out smoking, and hold a three-day dharna at Jantar Mantar in the Capital was, no doubt, bold.

It can be debated if that was the best way to show anger and raise issues. As it is, Indian wrestling has made news for the wrong reasons, with two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar behind bars in an ‘attempted murder’ case. When Sushil was taken into police custody, the feeling was one of almost being paralysed. The Sushil incident had nothing to do with governance. Sadly, for Sushil and those who idolised him for winning two Olympic medals in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, the fall from fame to shame was hard to digest. Sushil continues to be behind bars, as he faces trial relating to the murder of a young wrestler at his akhara in the capital.

The present scandal relating to governance issues in the Wrestling Federation of India and against its President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has sent shock waves. A sport which has brought India glory at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and many more elite championships is actually a cesspool. As of today, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has virtually disbanded the WFI Executive Committee and placed an Oversight Committee, headed by boxing legend MC Mary Kom.

The Committee was appointed last week after the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur met the aggrieved wrestlers. His successive late-night meetings showed he was very concerned about the problems being faced and how to assuage the ‘pehelwans’ (wrestlers). But now, the wrestlers should get back to the sport sooner than later. Camps should begin at the earliest.

The working of the Oversight Committee does not have to be discussed in detail in the public domain each day. Such an investigation is sensitive in nature and would be best kept under wraps. That the people chosen by the Ministry have been empowered to deal with macro issues is good, as they will probably be roping in legal experts. The allegations relating to moral turpitude and coaches being involved in sexual harassment have to be investigated, but let the panel be free to work and come up with findings in the one-month fixed time frame. It is also learnt that the CAG will now be taking up the sexual harassment issues of the last four years at various centres.

The Indian Olympic Association, now headed by PT Usha, will also need to step up. Though the IOA has also named a committee, their job is also a serious one. There is now a proper Athletes Commission, including well-known athletes, in place. The matter has reached the doors of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), its own Athletes Commission and the world wrestling body.

The credibility of the nation is at stake. It is not just one comment made in haste by the wrestlers. For them to take on their federation and throw brickbats is very serious. It is well-known, wrestling camps in India have been held at the SAI centres in Sonepat, Lucknow and also Delhi in the past. If at all any such harassment incident or coach(es) being involved in any scandal has been recorded, all that must be taken into account. Sonepat was in the news in 2016 before the Rio Olympics when the fight between Sushil Kumar Narsingh Yadav was out in the open.

Today, there is more than mere muck flying around. The allegations of sexual harassment remind one of US gymnastics where it took a lot for Simona Biles to open up and call out the coach who had wrecked her mentally. In India, lady athletes are given huge respect and, for its part, the Government of India has done a lot to ensure they are treated at par with their male counterparts in every way. Today, India has elite athletes in positions of power, like PT Usha. We also have women as part of sports administration.

To say there has been churning in Indian sports administration would be stating the obvious. From archery to table tennis and football to hockey and many more National Sports Federations, there has been a lot of change. The IOA, too, was under the scanner for over a year before a fresh constitution was drafted by Justice Nageswara Rao and elections were held. With just about 18 months to go before the Paris Olympics, the energy of the sports ecosystem should be devoted to the preparations. Be it for the Asian Games this September or the Olympics, each day counts. Athletes should not be wasting time in protests but focusing their energy on preparation at camps, exposure tours and competitions. Each athlete has always been ensured they will be taken care of. In fact, there should be a separate government grievance cell for addressing such issues on priority.

The Indian athlete has to be in the right frame of mind. If there are issues which are bothering them, there should be a proper mechanism for them to be heard. Nobody can say all federations run to perfection. The mechanics of checks and balances must be in place. The Government of India is spending huge amounts of money on athletes and their training and competition. Each medal won by an Indian athlete can be attributed to the support and efforts from the Government of India where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a personal interest.

The sporting system in place is not due to the NGOs who want to claim the credit. No, the government, through the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India, has been working in tandem. Just as the nation celebrated Republic Day with fervour on January 26, one hopes sport can bring back the lustre of medals in the news.

Indeed, at a time when Odisha was hosting the FIH World Cup, there was disappointment for India. Not making it to the quarter-finals was shocking, to say the least. This is the fourth time India has hosted the World Cup and the results achieved were pathetic. Having won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and a silver medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, for India to fare badly is unacceptable.

At the same time, one cannot condemn the players and the coach. The role played by Graham Reid, the friendly Australian, cannot be rubbished. He has worked hard with the team but if the fitness levels of players have dropped, as was evident on television, it needs to be identified. Today, Hockey India is led by a former India captain, Dilip Tirkey.

Tirkey has to take the bull by the horns and find out what went wrong. This is the year of the Asian Games. Ghosts of 2018, Jakarta, may come back to haunt fans again, where India flopped and did not win gold. Coach Harendra Singh, who was solely responsible at that time, had to quit. Nobody wants India to again go through the rigmarole of an Olympic qualifier in 2024.

For all those trying to suggest that Reid is facing the heat and could be sacked, take it with a pinch of salt. The best foreign coaches are hired years in advance. To think hiring a new coach will be beneficial is wrong. One saw there was a lack of cohesion in the team. Worse, the penalty corner conversion lacked ideas. All this was visible, so players and the team management need to sit down and pour over data soon.

We also hear now about selection woes and how Lalit Upadhyaya was a wrong choice. Selection matters have always been contentious in Indian hockey. Unless people get together and sort out the mess, Indian hockey will continue to suffer. One must not forget, a new body is in place at Hockey India. They need to be playing a more proactive role than finding scapegoats. From now till the Asian Games, the men’s team has to go full tilt. Fans still love Indian hockey. Jai Hind.