We have no sports development strategy and everything is handled on an ad-hoc basis. Right from cricket management to handling of other sports disciplines there are always uncertainties. One cannot say what may happen overnight. Pakistan’s economic instability has also hit sports hard.

But more than that we ourselves are hypocrites and don’t want to develop our sports and rather seek personal benefits.

Our sports governing bodies hold meetings without inviting the media to observe what is being discussed. And some bodies don’t even disclose what is discussed in the meetings and the decisions taken through press releases. Most of the federations don’t inform the media while sending their teams abroad for competitions.

I firmly believe that this is wrong and the top authorities should take notice of this issue.

A nation should know about every movement of a national contingent which is sent abroad. Most of the federations don’t know how to deal with the media and mostly the media is avoided. It is very unfair. Federations, Pakistan Olympic Association, Pakistan Sports Board and provincial and district associations should invite the media to their general council meetings at least so that the media could see how they work. If they secretly arrange these meetings then it shows they are not fair and want to conceal something from the public.

If our parliament proceedings are covered by the media, why do our sports governing bodies try to avoid the media when they hold their general council meetings? Nothing should happen behind closed doors. Sports bodies are not property of particular individuals. They are national assets and the public should know what they decide and discuss in their meetings.

The media must be a part and parcel of their proceedings. I have seen during the last few years that the Pakistan Cricket Board has also controlled the media and you will get only a press release at the end of a meeting. It’s unfair. The media should be allowed to observe the proceedings so people may know the reality. If there are issues, the media will highlight them and the system will be reformed. Discussing matters secretly and not sharing anything with the media even after meetings is unacceptable.

The big issue is that our sports bodies lack management practitioners. For decades a group of people has been handling sports but I am surprised that they don’t know how to handle things. When we call them and ask them to explain matters they try to conceal issues. They behave as if the body they head is their own property.

A few days ago a very senior sports administrator told me that when he retires he will bring in his son to replace him. I said to him, “you people say that sports federations are cash-strapped and it is difficult to run a federation. Then why do you want to put your son in trouble?” He replied that working as the head of a federation also has multiple benefits. So we seek benefits and we don’t care for sports development and that is why we don’t have sports development strategies.

It’s good that sometimes standing committees grill our sports bodies’ heads about what they are doing.

Despite handling federations for decades our federations’ chiefs cannot even write a press release properly.

Nation should know about every act of our sports governing bodies. And I again say that our sports heads should not think that federations are their personal property. These are national property and the media will ask them about each and every detail of what they are doing.

If they cannot run bodies fairly then they should quit. They keep a big staff in their offices but their output is zero.

The Pakistan government and even International Federations (IFs) should take action against such federations which are run by relatives and family members.

It’s a huge blot on the face of our sports.

If we are to develop our sports we need to make our federations’ working structures highly professional. We lack skilled administrators within federations and associations.

It’s time for reform. Otherwise we will go further down and then it will be impossible to put things in order.

73.alam@gmail.com