8/10/2019 Accountability and Autonomy - The Hindu
1/1
Today's Paper OPINION
Accountability and autonomy
Sports have been dominated by business interests in recent
decades, and big money and glamour often attractbusinessmen,
politicians and assorted characters into sports administration. The
entry of controversy into cricket
administration in India and questions being raised about its
accountability to the public and its large fan base are,therefore,
hardly surprising. As the Indian cricket board is the richest
national body in the game, it is only to beexpected that there will
be considerable public interest around the running of its main
money-spinner, the lucrativeIndian Premier League. On the one hand,
the IPL is a sub-committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in
India, buton the other, the BCCIs president also owns a league team
in the IPL. The BCCI is a registered society with Statecricket
associations affiliated to it. And the one who commands the maximum
support among these State associationsinvariably gets to run the
BCCI. In other words, it is a cosy club of mutual interests, and
the IPL cannot be expected to
be any different. Even though the BCCI is a private and
autonomous body, it is what it is today only because of the
grepublic support that cricket commands.
The big question that confronts one in the wake of the IPL
betting and spot-fixing scandal is this: how does one
ensureaccountability of national sporting bodies without
jeopardising their autonomy? A specific regulatory framework
mayappear to be the most obvious answer as general laws governing
societies and other associations have proved unequalto the task.
The previous United Progressive Alliance regime had prepared a
draft National Sports Development Bill.
Among its aims was the promotion of ethical practices in sports.
It talked about national sports federations to runevery sport with
official recognition. A legislative framework that is not sensitive
enough to the need for autonomy insports bodies would be seen as
needless interference going against the spirit of sports. The
experience of cash-richsporting bodies elsewhere is not enough of a
guide. The National Football League in the U.S., for instance, is a
not-forprofit body, but the National Basketball Association is run
on purely commercial lines. In England, there has beenheadway in
clubs giving some say in their management to supporters and
shareholders. The opportunity presented bythe current IPL
controversy to cleanse cricket in India is extraordinary. The best
way to make use of it is to put in placa mechanism that would
enhance public trust and accountability while retaining the
autonomy necessary to ensure thhighest competitive standards in the
game. Clearly, a great deal will depend on the calibre of men
entrusted with thetasks of governance.
http://www.thehindu.com/
