Asian Football retains the Sheikh at its helm; Sri Lanka must make its passes count!
As destined, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was re-elected President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in absentia. Striding into a new 4-year term, which will take him as far as 2023, thus completing 10 years in charge of the 47- member Asian body. Sheikh Salman contested the FIFA Presidency unsuccessfully in 2016, against Gianni Infantino, who was at hand at the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, to meet the Asian Contingent. Infantino used the platform to champion the cause of a revamped FIFA Club World Cup, which he believes will assist Asia immensely, in developing the game. He also announced his desire to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, with 90% of the Associations in support of the idea! So it all points to the notion that Football is growing and the accent is clearly on bigger and better competitions, along with the commercial showcase and wealth it will surely bring.
For the die- hard Sri Lanka Football fan though, this hoopla will only leave a bad taste in the mouth. Because, quite steadily, local Football is being consigned to the dustbin of sports, which has no valuable mass following or official stamp by the authorities. It has become an also-ran and, if not for the generosity of the Sheikh and the Asian Football masters, the sport would run aground and be dumped into oblivion. In a recent media post, questions were raised by the Chairman of the Competitions Committee as to how New Star SC was allowed a 3rd place play-off with a price tag of Rs 100,000 attached to it. The veracity of the story we leave to the sultans of Football House, but the fact is that, our competitions are not designed for any real purpose, except that it is an annual feature that must be fulfilled at any cost. Fortunately for FFSL, the FA Cup has found a new sponsor in Vantage, a silver lining in an otherwise overcast arena. A recent column, clinically analysed the wanton disharmony among the coach and his handlers at the top, who are now demanding answers to our constant degrading debacles, after a host of hosannas have been sung in many a forum. Unconfirmed news reports are emerging that a Super League is now on the cards later this year, with special funding from the AFC. Ten seeded teams will obviously play in this long heralded semi- professional competition, which is a stepping stone to the big leagues that any proud Football nation aspires too. It looks like our time has come, but the mortal fear is that an ill managed competition on this scale will be a death knell, if not properly and professionally organised. It is hoped that the AFC supervises this event and ensures that all the investment in this exciting new paradigm will not be lost by frivolous bloodhounds, who instinctively sniff the scent of money. The AFC backing can be smartly converted into a commercial venture that brings Football out of the doldrums and usher in an era of lucrative gate revenues. Creating a buoyant and competitive atmosphere, with district based teams, will no doubt appeal to a dormant fan base yearning to break out of their shackles and support their teams. Therein lies the secret of Association Football, if the EPL is anything to go by!
The FFSL President and his team must get their act together. They have seen plenty of top quality Football to know what works. Quality Competitions are the bedrock of any legitimate sports association. Thus, a well-structured competition format that surges upwards from the Junior Leagues to the Senior strata, with Apex professional level competitions, mirrors the coming of age and provides its followers a logical career progression, without which, a modern- day organization cannot exist, let alone flourish. The FFSL has all the support it needs and must make the passes count. If the teams are well structured and properly motivated, before long, Sri Lanka Football fans will see a definite upsurge in performance. The trick is to put together the right people for the job. That is easier said than done. And that is where a tough AFC official can bring about a radical change in the overall accountability and management of such a major event. If the gentleman at Football House are humble enough to learn, they will finally make the right passes for Sri Lanka Football.