Sri Lanka football from frying pan to fire!
View(s):Former national player and national coach Subhani Hassimdeen keeps writing regularly in newspaper columns about Football. His contribution, I feel is to remind the present generation of the state of football in yesteryear. Secondly is to see that the gam gains its past glory. But, it is unfortunate that those at helm are deaf and blind.
In some of his articles he has suggested that the Sports Minister should replace the current administration and by default institute an Interim Body to run football at least for a short period considering the present football standing and the impasse that has cropped up mainly due to the autocratic attitude of the present boss. Court cases, Interim orders, infighting, alleged misappropriation in the sale of Brazil 2014 world cup tickets and many such misdemeanors are getting reported and are going on relentlessly at the football house. Finally, the game in this country is fading away landing the ball into the fire from the frying pan.
Subhani also says that Sri Lanka football was great in the past. At present this tells us, to what extent our football has been buried. So where do we go from here? The answer to that question can only come from an in-depth understanding of what ails the game and what needs to be done.
Past football giants brought glory to our country in an era where our football was an amateur sport with no financial and moral support from any source. Players played the game with love when they were engaged in other occupation, so were the past officials who volunteered to administer the game with their own earnings and savings. Those men were from high echelon and honest in their responsibilities and the game too was at its peak.
The occasional ground breaking news of football centres funded by FIFA kept a gullible football public complacent enough to wish for a better day! Time alone took its toll and eventually that edifice crumbled and brought in its wake a very dismal situation from which Sri Lanka football is yet to recover. It is to the Minister’s credit that the controversial management committee was disbanded due to complaints from in-house. What emerged subsequently is a class without a monitor and a house in shambles. One shall not forget that, it’s the same set of inefficient administrators who are running the affairs of the game, thanks to the former boss for what they are now. FIFA too has not done justice; instead it is playing politics to fulfill its own agenda.
Blatter knows the taste of the hot seat that he is occupying and he routinely maintains to address the president of all the national associations as his friends and continues to provide funds for the development of the game. These are magic’s from his wand which benefits both parties. He has chosen to contest for another term having completed his 3rd term (3 X 4) 12 years as President of the FIFA.
Even with the present administration we don’t see any signs, of a real combined effort towards making a meaningful progress for a takeoff from where we are fallen. Instead, what we see and hear are some fairytales, cosmetic changes, handsome handouts and lavish parties with the Santa who is in charge of sports also attending even dinner parties probably to show partiality. What we expect from the hierarchy is to be neutral and stay stern to guide those who come under his purview to show results and not to fall prey for Sri Lankan gimmicks.
The malady set in over the last several years with our football is an administration that kept the game entrenched in a one-man-show. That neither the football fraternity nor the ministry did anything to correct that anomaly is a historical testament for the downfall of this popular sport. FIFA and AFC must share the blame for having propped up such a dynasty for their own gain and that destroyed the game in Sri Lanka even though many infrastructures are in place.
Slowly but surely, the standard of the game slid inexorably to the depths of despair and its continuing to slide further mainly due to the autocratic attitude and witch hunting that is taking place. Even the replacements then sent to the AFC in lieu for Dr. Manilal Fernando and Thilina Panditharatne and the present plight of many suitable and technically qualified officials are the results of these actions. While questions with regard to the legality of the move still remain, the manner in which the replacements were picked is also damaging and not so healthy for the governance of the FFSL. Any replacements so done should be from and through the council as it is they who are sweating with their own earnings to keep the game alive in this country. FIFA and AFC too should not accept such appointments unless these men have football in their baggage.
Our current team should concentrate in building the game. It must turn a new leaf instead of attempting to surpass the gimmicks of its predecessors. Regrettably, what we have today is another one man committee that does as it pleases. The legal battles that have cropped up today are the results of that attitude in the course contravening and disregarding our own constitution. Seeking the umbrella of the FIFA will not help and those living in glass houses should not throw stones at others.
A.H.S.M. Uvais
33, Meethotamulla
Kolonnawa