A New Chapter in Indian Sports

WILL  IT BE A GOODBYE TO SURESH KALMADI ?

The fiat by the ethics commission of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), to preclude the disgraced president of the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) Mr Suresh Kalmadi, Mr VK Verma and Mr Lalit Bhanot from participating and contesting in the elections for the office bearers of the IOA, which is due on 25 Nov 2012, till such time their names are cleared by the courts of the country; is a welcome step for the good of sports and sportspersons. Jacques Rogge, the chairman of the IOC has done a great service to India, by upholding the decision of its subcommittee. What the government of the country could not do, the IOC has done, in keeping with the code of conduct for its confederate members. A sigh of relief is long overdue from the past and present, illustrious sportspersons and sports administrators respectively, who always put sports and the country first; rather than their personal interests and greed to misuse the trust and faith reposed in them, by the accredited members comprising the National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the State Olympic Committees (SOCs).

The political arithmetic of the Congress Party has arm twisted it, to reinstate the fallen Chairman of the Organising Committee Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010, who was incarcerated in the Tihar jail for about 9 months, after his involvement in the scam in the Queen’s Baton Relay in London was established by the sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation. The matter is sub judice and the judgement of the designated court is awaited. However, had it not been for the IOC’s vehement stand in the matter, which assails its ethical principles; Suresh Kalmadi and his cohorts would have made the Nation eat crow and cocked a snook at the Sports Minister, Mr Ajay Maken by participating, contesting and winning the coveted posts for which the elections are due in the IOA. Such is the hold and clout of these die hard freeloaders, who have successfully masqueraded as sports aficionados and administrators for many years, at grave cost to the country and its sportspersons. I shudder at the gall of these men, who have plundered the country like many others to fatten their pockets, and thus ensuring their presence and authority in the apex forum of sports, to further prosper from the opportunities which come up at an international level.

It saddens me to see the ground swell of supporters from amongst the pseudo sports administrators, who tenant various offices in NSFs and SOCs, willing to back Suresh Kalmadi and Lalit Bhanot, should they contest elections, if not barred from doing so by the IOC. This is the culture which Mr Suresh Kalmadi has engendered and diligently nurtured among the sports administrator constituency, which is critical to his remaining in power as the head of the IOA. The political culture of the country is no different from what Kalmadi assiduously believes in and therefore he takes acceptability from the pages of his political peers and colleagues. I, as a professional sports administrator and manager, who has been a part of the Army’s and Armed Forces sports organization, have seen some of my own colleagues, literally grovel for Mr Kalmadi’s attention and grace to visit them, only with the single point aim of currying favours and seeking perks from his cauldron of assigning foreign tours, appointments in various adhoc committees/ offices, seven star hotel parties, air travel, limousine rides and travel, allowances and handsome salary et al, all at the tax payers cost. And all that was expected of these officers was implicit loyalty to the ‘Kalmadi’, even at a cost to their own parent organization, which were their employer and paymaster. Suresh, had learnt his tricks in politics, which he used to great advantage to ride the helm of Indian sports administration, for nearly 20 years.  I do hope and wish that those of my colleagues who waxed eloquent about the administrative brilliance and leadership of the ‘Kalmadi’, have now been confronted by the reality of their misconceptions about this man and are sorry for having succumbed to the ruse that, this trickster played upon their weak minds.

Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal  

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