Sports reforms might face setback with MS Gill’s exit

Like no other Sports Minister, Manohar Singh Gill — who was yesterday shifted to Programme Implementation Ministry – initiated a series of reform measures aiming at improving the ethics and purpose of administration of sports.

He forced Guidelines on the Sports Federations which are largely held by power-hungry politicians and bureaucrats.

It took almost 60 years after Independence for a minister to tell the National Federations to put the electoral rolls on the public domain, file nominations for contesting posts a week before the election, and such basic things.

The highlight of his achievement of course is age and tenure stipulations which are nothing but what the International Olympic Committee sets for itself.

Unlike others, when faced hurdles from domestic vested interests and also unexpected complicating of matters by international forces, read IOC, he did not give up. He sent his officers to IOC and made a forcible argument. It certainly led to some impact, the IOC has asked the IOA to change its constitution. This feat cannot be pushed away as a run of the mill stuff.

Under him, the Ministry boldly supported the PIL by well-meaning Rahul Mehra in various courts, whose many pronouncements had withered many a moribund National Federations.

He has the boldness to see the IHF which led India’s exit from the Olympics, is dissolved.

He brought hockey back to Priority list after it was relegated to non-priority category by the babus.

If 80 plus persons like Vidhya Stokes are no more in sports federations, thanks must go to this Gill.

Its for the first time government of India that funds all the Federations made some impact in reforming. Now it looked the giver as the giver and the taker as the taker, till now the takers held sway.

At such a time his continuity was necessary to overcome the unexpected hurdle for reform that comes from the IOC itself, he has been moved to another ministry.

Its unfortunate even media, which falsely claim itself as champion crusaders of vexed age and tenure of sports body officials, deserted MS Gill midway, when the situation came to a final take. Most media and journalists kept mum and it looked they don’t want to sabotage their ‘sources’.

Now, its time for the likes of Randhir Singhs – who has been Secretary of Indian Olympic Association for donkey years – to relish, but the public anger is the only hope for future of Indian sports.

It is good news the new incumbent and younger Ajay Maken has vowed to carry on the legacy of MS Gill, and it will be easy said than done.

MS Gill had the competency and will to take on even his own folk (politicians and bureaucrats), will the new one do the same is a million dollar question.