Practice of existing sports more needed than reforms

People are now vocal in favour of change in the sports arena—because awareness has increased to some extent. People are realising that the sports sector has not progressed the way it should have over the past five decades. That is why the nation’s dream of a thriving sports sector has remained unfulfilled. After independence, the journey of sports in the new country began with aspirations and commitments. But the sports arena is still plagued with a crisis of trust and confidence. It keeps stumbling in various ways. The sector has not been freed from a kind of uncertainty and instability. Beautiful words, promises, and so-called publicised initiatives cannot lead sports in the right direction. What is needed is a realistic, collective effort. The united sincerity of people, coordination among them, and a shared determination.

In our way of life, the realm of sports is entirely different from any other field. The emotions and sensitivity of this arena are completely distinct. Those involved in the management of sports are driven by a deep emotional connection and mindset. Sports organisers take satisfaction, joy, and a sense of responsibility in "spending from their own pockets" for the game. Without love and passion for sports, it is not possible to remain engaged in this field for years. Mental peace and a sense of respect are not lacking in other sectors either. Even so, the closeness to the world of sports is deeply cherished. This field holds a unique appeal in participatory activities.

The reform in the sports arena is a much talked about topic nowadays. In sports practice, change is always needed based on the demands of the time. So, this is nothing new. The question is, what kind of reform should have been prioritised in the sports sector? Fundamentally, how feasible is it to bring about change in sports based on bureaucratic interests and alliances? If the reform process is not effective, there is no point in making a fuss about it in the sports world. Who formed the committee, who meddled in the proposed committee list to play their own game of changes and additions—these issues hold no interest for the general public. People have observed the various steps and initiatives of the search committee over the past eight and a half months. Who caused delays in completing the work—these are all meaningless matters. What typically happens in the absence of participatory democratic governance has happened here as well. A kind of stagnation has descended on the overall sports sector of the country. Especially outside Dhaka, in district towns, the practice of various sports has been hampered. It is concerning that in the name of reform, sports activities are declining or even coming to a halt.

If the sports sector, which races keeping pace with time, falls behind even once, recovering it becomes a major challenge. Reforms are supposed to serve the interests of the game—but if they hinder sporting activities, such reform efforts must be considered flawed. You cannot put the cart before the horse. Organisers are the driving force of the sports arena. There is a serious lack of competent organisers in our sports sector. If those who are present are rendered inactive through strange reasoning, how will the sports sector function? How will the vehicle of sports move forward?

It is not possible to suddenly bring about a revolutionary change in the organisational structure of the sports arena. The sector needs capable people who can manage organisational activities. Driving all of them out of the sector is not the solution to the problem. How are the 53 national sports federations and associations currently functioning? New ad-hoc committees have been appointed. Who are the people who got appointed to these positions? Where were they before entering the sports scene? Whether someone was once an athlete or never set foot on a playing field—these debates are meaningless. Organisational competence is a separate matter—in this context, interest, initiative, and the ability to lead are what matter most.

In various sports committees, high-ranking government officials have been appointed as general secretaries and presidents—how much time can they actually give to run federation activities? The country’s sports sector has suffered for years from a shortage of capable individuals and people with real organisational skills. Now that these federations have been given ad-hoc bodies, it is hard to say how long they will remain in charge. Everything depends on the direction the country's political situation takes in the coming days.

After the student-people uprising in July 2024, when discussions on reforming the sports sector began—we said that before taking action, reality must be given the highest priority. If radical change is considered, everything will become a complete mess. Reforms are needed in various areas, but they should be carried out alongside the continuation of sports activities.

Based on experience, we have said from the beginning that each sports federation and association should work according to its own constitution. If fresh elections are held adding a few new clauses and omitting some old ones through consensus to the constitution, many problems in the sports sector could be solved immediately. It should have been understood how much reform could realistically be implemented in a short time. And how effective and sustainable such changes would be. Now it seems the situation has become quite murky. Let sound thinking and a sense of purpose prevail in the sports arena. Let qualitative change come to the country's sports sector.

Ikramuzzaman: Columnist and analyst; former Senior Vice President, AIPS Asia; lifetime member, Bangladesh Sports Press Association and panel writer, Football Asia.