Usher in good governance

Sports and politics cannot be separated in India, just as sand and water will combine to provide the most beautiful coastlines.

On Friday, when 45-year-old Kalyan Chaubey, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, whipped Bhaichung Bhutia 32-1 to become president of the All-India Football Federation, there were mixed reactions.

By sheer weight of performances on the field and having built an awesome reputation, there is no doubting Bhutia may have far better credentials. He dominated Indian football for long and is undisputedly a legend.

Where Bhutia erred was in underestimating the might of Kalyan Chaubey, a goalkeeper who had the distinction of representing both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. By nature, goalkeepers are supposed to be agile, alert and possess uncanny anticipation. Chaubey showed that he had done his homework well before entering the election fray.

Today, when pundits talk of one politician replacing another in the AIFF, you need to take it with a pinch of salt. All those who were hobnobbing with former AIFF President Praful Patel have turned his critics, to the point of saying he brought the sport to its current wretched state at home.

And that is where the criticism is ridiculous, as no federation president wants his team to do badly. Praful is history as far as Indian football is concerned. He continues to be a politician and still enjoys strong links in the world football body, FIFA.

Rewinding to the sequence of events leading to the AIFF elections, it's sad that so much time was lost in reframing the AIFF constitution. It took years for the constitution to be redone after lying in cold storage in the court. There were attempts made to tweak it (constitution) to stupid levels, which is when FIFA raised the red flag.

One has to give credit to the men who matter for ensuring anything and everything would be done for the FIFA under-17 World Cup (women) to stay in India. And this is where Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General, appearing before the Supreme Court was important. The message was clear, India was ready to do any course correction needed to ensure that the suspension/ban on AIFF was lifted.

After crazy changes proposed in the AIFF constitution were jettisoned, the new constitution was done in sync with what FIFA wanted. As for the election results, how does it matter if Kalyan Chaubey is from the BJP. After all, Bhaichung Bhutia also has political leanings and is associated with the Hamro Sikkim Party. The ideal situation is, Bhutia is also brought on board.

After all, the Indian government had compared Bhutia with Sachin Tendulkar last month and said the footballer can make a big contribution to the sport. To be sure, Bhutia needs to get over this defeat in the AIFF elections and join hands with the rest. India needs his experience and vision. After all, just as we have coalitions in state governments, not necessarily born out of seat adjustments, Bhutia and Kalyan can work together.

There is a larger message from the football mess at home, which has been sorted after years. Sports governance in India is churning. There is uncertainty and dark clouds hang over many National Sports federations. The mood is one of being forced to bring in changes that are really not necessary.

The high-handedness in dealing with sports federations must be toned down. We have seen how Hockey India is going through a churning process. There was a short threat from the world body (FIH) that the World Cup next year in Odisha (Bhubaneswar and Rourkela) could be taken away. Sanity was restored after FIH waved the red flag.

Reasons for it are some overzealous men in the COA (Committee of Administrators) trying to bring in more changes than necessary in the Hockey India constitution. It is unfortunate that Indian sports federations have to be admonished by world sports bodies, eventually leading to normalcy

India is the largest democracy in the world and we know how to govern better than many other countries. So, where is the need for needless intervention from various quarters, which leads to turmoil among the NSFs? There is a middle path, and one must avoid the muddle path. If you look at the piles of money which lawyers have made in courts of law over the last few years with respect to litigations in several sports federations, it is shocking.

In India, cricket is the only self-sustained sport. They do not approach the Central Government for funds. Yet, when it comes to anti-doping policy, following certain guidelines set by the government, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) does not run away. They may show one-upmanship, but at no point have they disrespected rules set by the government.

In India's 75th year of Independence, it is important that sports administration remains free and fair. Stop talking of how and why politicians must not interfere. Minus whole-hearted support from the Central Government, each sports federation in India will be crippled. They need the money at every stage, from grassroots level to holding Nationals and eventually preparing athletes for the world level.

Today, the Indian Olympic Association, which is the National Olympic Committee, is struggling with governance issues. Elections were due in December 2021, but have been stalled. There is "acting president" Anil Khanna who is on a shaky wicket. And you also have Adille Sumariwala from the Athletics Federation of India who says he is the rightful president of the IOA as the executive board has elected him.

This wrangling is just the tip of the iceberg. For a long time, the IOA has been caught in bad governance. When the International Olympic Committee suspended India after the 2012 London Olympics, there was brouhaha at home. It then needed Congress Sports Minister Jitender Singh, the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to sit down and redraw a revised IOA constitution.

Frequently tampering with the IOA constitution, throwing the rule book at them and then talking of the National Sports Code 2011 is not needed. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board will be meeting next week. Among other items on the agenda, NOCs (National Olympic Committees) will be taken up.

The delay in elections at home (IOA) will be discussed by the IOC. The IOC is keen that matters are thrashed out fast but the way IOA officials have behaved in public domain is shocking. It is a matter of national shame that IOA treasurer Anandeshwar Pandey faces rape charges (Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code) and his shenanigans have been exposed. Pray, is this what sports administration has come to in the IOA?

The rot is deep. Outgoing office bearers of the IOA who will not be able to contest the next election, whenever it is held in 2022, have indulged in poor governance. Such is the state of matters today, the prestigious National Games have not been held at home for the last seven years.

Only recently, in June, the IOA and Gujarat Government have decided to hold the National Games on a large scale. These Games were first supposed to be held by the IOA in Goa in 2020. That they failed speaks poorly of the IOA's failure.

Can anyone in the IOA complain there is political interference in holding the National Games? No way. It is a culmination of incompetence and arrogance that has led to IOA becoming a laughing stock.

There is no doubt that the National Games will be hosted by Gujarat very well in September and October. There is also no doubt Odisha will do a great job of hosting the hockey World Cup in 2023. So, what does the IOA do?

Frankly speaking, they have no business complaining about "interference." The IOA mess will eventually be cleared by the IOC and well-meaning people in Indian sports administration. One has to wait for the completion of the National Games, perhaps, for the purge to begin.

Indian sport is already preparing for the next Olympic cycle. We need good governance and honest administrators. If anyone talks of political interference, please ignore it. Indian sports owe everything to the government and the taxpayers' money!

Views expressed are personal