Pioneer develops local sport talent
Sheikh Fahad strives to make KOC an independent entity
This is the fifth in a series of articles on Sheikh Fahad Al Ahmed Al Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah (19451990), a legendary figure and pioneer of the African-Asian sport movement, a poet, writer and man of action.
ASpecial to the Arab Times s mentioned,the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee was born as part of the department of Social Affairs and Labor, which upon emerging into a ministry in 1963 had to deal with scores of new problems rising from divergent issues; sport was not its priority.
Hence, it was vital for the KOC to become a free entity capable of dealing effectively with its own problems.
The most urgent problem was to grant to players time-off during training, especially during championship matches; for most of them were students and young military recruits. The denial of such a privilege was a source of constant frustration for both the players and the KOC.
Team training is a commitment, in which unless players have the time and leisure of becoming fully involved, it will not improve their performance.
Students who could not afford missing lessons on important subjects, did not leave class for the sake of training; even worse was during exams, which the students could not skip for fear of losing their term.
The situation was yet more difficult when the team had to be taken abroad for training and a whole range of lessons had to be skipped.
In the case of young army recruits, when players were taken to training camps abroad or were engaged in a world tournament, they could not join their team unless by special permission.
To obtain it, one had to go through such a lengthy bureaucracy that often players were unable to join their team even during important championship events.
Supporters
To solve the army problem Sheikh Fahad Al Ahmad sought the support of HH the Amir,Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah and of the Crown Prince & Prime Minister, Sheikh Sa’ad Al Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah, both strong supporters of the sport movement.
Forthwith a bulletin was issued in which the players of the National team were to be considered on official duty during championship tournaments or training abroad.
Having solved part of the problem, Sheikh Fahad then personally took care of the student issue, engaging teachers to give them private lessons. If during examinations they were at training-camps abroad, they were taken back to Kuwait for their exam, then returned to the camp to continue their training.
Having solved the problem related to players, he then formed a team of players of different ages under the supervision of world known instructors.At the same time he encouraged every sport-club in town to invite foreign teams, to engage in friendly matches in order to develop the native potentials.
He also engaged world famous coaches to raise the standard of players and train local instructors to assist them, while local referees were encouraged to improve their judging skill, by attending training courses lectured by world-renown referees.
The role of the media was also Sheikh Fahad’s prime concern, because of its importance in spurring the interest of the masses in sport.
Indeed his open-minded attitude towards criticism encouraged the cooperation of the local papers. His leniency in this matter is proved by his cool attitude towards a certain journalist, who whether or not there was a reason for criticism, his constant attacks on the Sheikh’s policy never faded throughout the years.
One day this journalist fell ill; hearing he need to go abroad for special medical treatment Sheikh Fahad financed all his expenses.
When someone pointed out that he had always been against him no matter what, he pointed out that because he expressed his opinion he should not be denied help when he needed it.
Working hard, spurring the sport movement Sheikh Fahad Al Ahmad was becoming increasingly frustrated with obstacles threatening to block the whole machinery of reforms he was striving to implement.
His greatest frustration was in trying to make the government aware of the importance to grant to the KOC the freedom of action it needed to carry out its commitments.
No matter how hard he tried, no matter how diligently he applied himself to the task, all his efforts were restrained by the lethargic bureaucratic atmosphere he was dealing with.
Finally he went through a crisis that almost threatened to jeopardize the future of the sport movement he was struggling to develop.
Compromise
The crisis began when the Higher Board of the Youth and Childhood Welfare was formed at the time he was trying to make the KOC a free entity, capable of dealing effectively with its own problems.
Initially he accepted to compromise if the new Board was willing to comply to the policy of the KOC; but when it refused,he felt that the whole scope of the KOC was grossly underestimated, hence he resigned.
His resignation left the sport movement and everything he started in a precarious situation, because his resignation was followed by the resignation of every member of the Sport Corporation and of the KOC.
This rose a flare of widespread criticism and concern. The Amir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad realizing what Sheikh Fahad was striving to accomplish for the sake of his country, called him to his office to discuss the situation and reach a solution.
Finally the KOC was given free hand to become an independent entity, with legal right of free action and an independent budget to work with. Reassuming office Sheikh Fahad set to work with greater enthusiasm in developing the KOC into a comprehensive institution, whose purpose and aim was to spur the sport movement in general with strong regional and continental relations.
The various executive boards of the KOC working in conjunction with its Higher Board of Directors have since been acting as a net-work, dealing effectively with every issues and problems related to sport activities.
While developing the local potentials Sheikh Fahad was striving to create strong abridgements with all important world sport organizations, lending support to those in need and making Kuwaiti membership an effective element in strengthening those abridgements.
At the same time his tactful policy gained him a permanent membership at the World Olympic Board (WOB), making the relations between the KOC. and the World Olympic organization, which in the past had only been marginal, grow in importance and prestige to such an extent that the chairman of the world Olympic Board began meeting in Kuwait!, Kuwait became the pivot of AsianAfro sport connections.
The prestige of the KOC was yet enhanced when Sheikh Fahad became member of the World Olympic Board of Director, and began broadening the scope of the Olympic Organization by establishing connections with Asian and regional Olympic Boards.
Conference
For his outstanding role in this matter Sheikh Fahad was elected Deputy President of the World Olympic Boards Corporation during the conference held in Portorico in 1979.
Incidentally Kuwait was the first country in the region to make the Olympic Day the greatest annual sport celebration, during which the most outstanding athletes of the year are awarded; other Gulf countries followed the example.
It takes a man with a dream and the determination to make his dream feasible that creates a change in the world !
Sheikh Fahad’s dream was not only to see his beloved Kuwait taking part in the World Cup Final, he also wanted to give to the Arab world of sport the prestige it never had and to forge through world sport tournaments the unity of nations which politics have disrupted.
With characteristic perseverance, tact and self-confidence he accomplished in record time what no other country in the Arab world and Asian had ever attempted!
Under his shrewd leadership the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee successfully carried out connections with regional and world organizations through the Asian Olympic Bureau and the Afro-Asian Committee.
At the same time by engaging the best instructors for local players to achieve the higher standard of expertise, it enabled them to successfully engage in world championships.
To be continued