Is Football the wealthy orphan of Sri Lanka Sports?
No news is good news, it is said. Sri Lanka Football is in limbo as never before! Football enthusiasts have all but given up what it can expect from a sport that thrives on doing nothing for its fans. The Dialog Champions League has come and gone and the story that the National Teams have been in training, was cloaked in secrecy. Finally, the newspapers just a few days ago, broke the story that the Women’s Team is participating in the SAFF Tournament in Nepal while the Under-23 Team will travel to Bahrain for the AFC 2020 Championship qualifying rounds.
With Sri Lanka Cricket hugging the news for the wrong reasons and the Minister of Sports (MOS) striving to use his personal charisma to mold a team that can show up at the World Cup and get past the preliminary rounds, sports like Football better fend for itself. All the hopes and aspirations of die- hard football lovers seem to fade away. With advice freely given and as freely ignored by the powers that be, Football struggles to create even an iota of interest among the faithful across the island with only the selfish kingpins at Football House privy to what little is going on.
A recent report titled the Future of Sport makes interesting reading. In a research study based on an aggregation of opinions and direct interviews, the report suggests that International Sports Federations must adapt to the rapid transformation in world sport, or risk losing control of the industry. It goes on to predict that population growth and scarce resources among other factors was being reshaped by athlete autonomy, private investment and digital media as well as powerful & influential athletes operating as commercial entities.
Sri Lanka is far away from this amalgam in global sport, but it cannot remain entirely aloof from these trends. Football in particular, has been affected by doping and corruption scandals. It is observed more than ever before, that the modern athlete as well as the footballer, is demanding more rights and a bigger share of profits. The report indicates that among i n i t i a t i ve s that Federations must take, is an exemplary standard of governance throughout their structures in order to maintain the confidence of stakeholders. In this context the recent formation of an Association of some of Sri Lanka’s elite football clubs is clearly a reaction to the neglect of an important segment of the sport in Sri Lanka. A Players cartel is not too far away and once again, for good reasons. The report goes on to add that Federations must invest in grassroots to boost participation levels while also using newtechnology to engage their fan base.
The writing is on the wall for FFSL as the custodian of Sri Lanka Football. The MOS is slow to react while the Ministry of Education (MOE) does not see the value of engagement. It remains in cohort with the Sri Lanka Schools Football Association ( SLSFA) in pursuing private establishments that are exploiting the young talent. Nestle is pushing a MILO international program and so does Allianz on a regular basis. Both are positive programs, but they do not integrate with national aspirations, merely addressing their own narrow commercial designs. They do not appear willing to supportnational competitions or development of local talent.
Fortunately, a few dedicated local football promoters run what they like to call,Youth Academies. It is heartening to see kids as young as ten, both boys and girls, turning up with their parents to get a whiff of what it takes to be a star footballer. They have very little or no support from FFSL or AFC or FIFA; only God knows where! What the MNC’s should do is support these grassroots efforts, if they wish to reap the benefit of championing global product- based promotions. The MOE and SLSFA, if not FFSL must regulate these activities, so that Football as a whole is the winner.
But an orphan that is tainted by handouts from time to time, knows no better but to rake in the goodies while the going is good. The International bodies are not switched on to the local ethos and the bedraggled young aspirant. The trickle- down effect if that is the theory, has paid no dividends. The few who have wormed their way into international arenas have had their fill and that’s all that matters to these mandarins whose daily chant is the next is pre- paid air ticket. No small wonder that the wealthy orphan is getting poorer by the day!
The writing is on the wall for FFSL as the custodian of Sri Lanka Football. The MOS is slow to react while the Ministry of Education (MOE) does not see the value of engagement.