Mud-slinging in sports

A crucial tactic in Kabaddi is the ability to drag the raider down. This tendency to drag people behind is seen across various sectors in the country. Is this the reason why Kabaddi has been recognized as the national sport? The question might sound humorous, but it’s not irrelevant. If this statement offends you, take a deeper look into the sports sector, and the image of dragging people down from behind will become clear. This trend became evident after the formation of ad hoc committees in 9 national sports federations.

Following August 5, an interim government formed a search committee to free the sports sector from political control. The committee held discussions with officials from various sports federations and recommended committees for their formation. Based on these discussions, they conducted thorough background checks, including intelligence reports, before announcing the new committee members. Currently, there is an ongoing effort to turn these newly appointed officials into allies of the ruling party!

The sports sector has always lacked sportsmanship, and with time, it is vanishing even more. The mud-slinging that has begun over the Kabaddi Federation, Hockey Federation, and Athletics Federation committees is entirely unbecoming of the sports sector. Since the search committee began its work, the hockey community has provided ample fodder for mockery. Former hockey player and member of the search committee Major (Retd.) Imroz Ahmed suddenly faced protests from one faction, and the next day, another faction rallied against them. After the committee was formed, Sajed A. A. Adel, former General Secretary of the Hockey Federation, who was vying for the position of the General Secretary in the ad hoc committee, raised various concerns, painting critical portraits of people in the media.

Bangladesh team in action at the international kabaddi competition. A noticeable tendency among kabaddi players is pulling each other during the game, as seen in this picture. Photo: Collected

Sajed A. A. Adel, a former player and experienced organizer who led the Mohammadan Hockey Committee for a long time, has been harsh in his criticism, but that can be tolerated. However, the situation surrounding the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation is far from civilized! Former officer S. M. A. Mannan has been outspoken about alleged corruption involving the current General Secretary of the ad hoc committee, S. M. Newaz Sohag. When asked for proof, Mannan could not provide any and hesitated before shifting the blame onto Gazi Mozammel Haque, the Additional DIG of the police and the former Joint Secretary of the Kabaddi Federation. Haque claims that S. M. Newaz Sohag failed to provide the promised funds to the Kabaddi Federation, but like Mannan, he too could not offer any substantial evidence.

The mud-slinging over the Kabaddi Federation would have been acceptable if it had ended there, but it didn’t. On November 19, two former members of the Kabaddi Federation, Md. Mehedi Hasan Suman and Md. Delwar Hossain, submitted two complaints to the National Sports Council (NSC). These complaints contained allegations of embezzlement of funds and attempts to label S. M. Newaz Sohag as an ally of the past government. Allegations of embezzling 4 crore 24 lakh and 20 crore taka were made, and they demanded the cancellation of the ad hoc committee.

The language of both letters and the nature of the allegations were the same. The complaints claimed that S. M. Newaz Sohag had been benefiting from Kabaddi since 2016, but upon investigating, it became clear that there was a mismatch between the allegations and reality. S. M. Newaz Sohag only became involved in Kabaddi at the end of 2017, when his company, Adtach, was appointed as a partner by the then president of the Kabaddi Federation, A. K. M. Shahidul Haque. A partnership agreement was signed, and Adtach was given the responsibility of covering 55-60 events over five years, handling sponsorship deals, TV rights, and branding, with a profit-sharing arrangement.

National hockey team on the turf. This scene is rarely seen. The sport often remains in the headlines for various negative news throughout the year. Photo: Collected

There was no mention in the contract of the 53 lakh taka annual payment that is being claimed. In fact, the entire claim that S. M. Newaz Sohag’s company owes 4 crore 24 lakh taka over eight years does not align with the facts.

The reason for delving into the details of these allegations is clear: when accusations of corruption and misconduct are made, there must be clear evidence to back them up. Otherwise, such accusations become farcical. Interestingly, behind the mud-slinging surrounding the Kabaddi Federation, there is a distinct scent of greed for money. Although the previous two-term committees did little to improve the game, they did bring financial stability, with over 8 crore taka in the federation’s coffers, a rare example outside cricket and football.

At least four individuals have been vying to take control of the Kabaddi Federation for financial reasons, but the unexpected rise of S. M. Newaz Sohag as the General Secretary of the ad hoc committee has left many disappointed. They are now attempting to express their frustration through accusations and mud-slinging.

The mud-slinging isn’t limited to Kabaddi and Hockey; even Athletics Federation faces similar frustration and misinformation. Questions have been raised about the new General Secretary of the Athletics Federation, Shah Alam, though most of those involved in the Kabaddi, Hockey, and Athletics committees seem content.

Infighting in Bangladesh hockey is nothing new, with the sport frequently making negative headlines. In an attempt to rejuvenate the sport, an individual with no past controversies, Lt. Colonel (Retd.) Riazul Hasan, was appointed as the General Secretary of the ad hoc committee. Whether this effort succeeds or not will only be determined by time. Before that, however, the newly-formed committee needs a chance to prove itself.

The fastest woman, Shirin Akter, with the fastest man, Imranur Rahman. They get the chance to compete on the track in only two domestic events each year. Photo: Collected

It is also being stated that S. M. Newaz Sohag is not a Kabaddi insider. This is true; he wasn’t involved in Kabaddi before 2017. But that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of handling the role. Since Kabaddi became part of the Asian Games in 1990, Bangladesh regularly earned medals. However, the country's men’s Kabaddi team faced setbacks after 2010, and since 2014, the women’s team has been medal-less in the Asian Games. From 1990 to 2014, the sport was governed by traditional Kabaddi organizers, who had guided the game to success, but after their time, the game has struggled to regain its former glory.

The Kabaddi Federation became known as the "Police Committee" due to the presence of police officers in its leadership, and although they failed to break the cycle of failure, they did ensure financial stability. With this backdrop, the search for a new direction led to the unexpected emergence of S. M. Newaz Sohag. However, even before he began his tenure as General Secretary, several individuals were already trying to drag him down, which is highly unusual!

Despite all the accusations and mud-slinging surrounding the Kabaddi, Hockey, and Athletics Federations, the relevant authorities in the government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports remain confident in the newly appointed ad hoc committees. They are hopeful that, despite the difficult circumstances, the new leadership can bring about positive changes in these sports.

Mahbub Sarkar: Sports Writer and Journalist