Time for a national sports policy

Sports in Sri Lanka has turned out to be a refugee child who can't even find a foster parent. Nobody seems to know where our sport is heading as the authorities show a blind eye on several important issues relating to Sri Lankan sports.

A national sports policy has been long overdue. Time to time, many politicians and officials have talked loads on the importance of a national sports policy and drafting such a policy too had been entrusted to some of the knowledgeable people. But nothing constructive has emerged to go ahead with such policy.

Sports should be free of politics. True it had to be a reality in an Asian third world country like ours at which politics play an important role from one's birth to death. True we cannot keep politicians out of sports altogether in these countries, but we could do something to the extent as India.

Our sports policies and development plans relating to them should not change from time to time, to suit different political parties and their politicians who secure power from time to time. Such interferences could be overcome if there is a supreme National Sports Policy. Arms of officials who implement such policy should be strengthened so that they could act with dignity and would have the courage to face political interferences.

Over the years, Sri Lanka has taken part in many international sporting events such as Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and South Asian Games. We have fielded teams to several World championships and Asian tournaments in many sports. But except in cricket, we have hardly made enough preparations to face the event.

The normal practice is to beg for funds from the Sports Ministry by the respective National Sports Associations (NSAs). Then the Sports Ministry sits on those proposals until they are sounded alarm bells by the officials of the NSAs. In the mean time, the NSA officials too don't make a real effort to attract a sponsor and leave it entirely in the hands of the Sports Ministry.

As a result of the Sports Ministry's decision to allocate funds, the NSAs will not start training. But when the Sports Ministry finally allocates funds, it is too late to make preparations. But the officials of NSAs won't tell that because they would miss out on another 'valuable tour'.

Hence, the NSAs makes arrangements for some 'instant training' and take the teams for an international event with hardly any preparations. We spend the same amount of money but as a result of the delay in releasing the funds, our training is totally inadequate. This type of unnecessary waste of valuable public funds should be stopped immediately.

The Sports Ministry should have clear guidelines on the allocation of funds for sports teams and events here. At the same time, if those teams and events fall within such criteria, funds should be released well in advance for the NSAs and teams to get the best use and have proper training.

There should be a central committee, which includes representatives from the Sports Ministry, National Olympic Committee, NSAs, universities, schools, National Youth Services Council and Treasury to recommend and monitor such financial grants by the Sports Ministry. Even after granting such financial assistance, this committee should keep a close eye to make sure whether the NSAs make the best use of those funds.

One of the burning issues in our sports today has been lack of sponsorships for the NSAs. This is an area where those respective NSA Ex-co members and Sports Ministry should take equal blame. It is the duty of the ex-co of an NSA to find funds needed for their activities, without being a total burden to the Sports Ministry.

As we all are aware, budgetary allocations for sports are limited in a third world country like ours. Hence, we must make the best use of the funds allocated by spending them for the most appropriate event. That's where the Sports Ministry and the suggested central committee should consider on the opportunity cost.

On the other hand, pressure on the Sports Ministry working on a tight budget could be eased, if they make an effort to find private sponsors. It is a program successfully implemented by the Sports Ministry in the late 1990s.

Under the guidance of the Sports Ministry, a principal sponsor for each sport could be found, so that the financial pressure on the ministry would be reduced to a greater extent.

There are many loopholes in the current Sports Law and there are 'master officials' who are clever enough to go through all of them to 'serve' sports forever. A proper National Sports Policy could well be the answer to many of those burning issues in Sri Lanka sports.