Jess Owens once
said, "Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust."
And Owens was
arguably one of the most influential athletes of all time, winning 4 gold in
Berlin Olympics in 1936, when Hitler staged the game to showcase the Aryan
supremacy.
Despite what Owens
said, awards do, and would continue to, mean a lot to the athletes. These are
the reasons why they play for, when the game they play is not enough to buy
them sustenance. Probably that's why Pulsar Sports Awards gets a lot of
publicity. So much that players go ahead players or their fans go ahead getting
pamphlets printed and paste it around the walls. So much, fan groups rally
around requesting for SMS votes. The national football team went to the eastern
region, to play friendly matches against Sunsari, Morgan and Jhapa – with the
permission from ANFA – to gather support for its captain, who happens to be one
of the nominees for Popular Player of the Year.
At the risk of
irritating a lot of sports journos, yours truly would also like to argue that
the awards have become popular also because it is organized by Nepal Sports
Journalist Forum. Most sports journos are affiliated with the forum, and the
news gets month long (or more coverage in popular newsprint), making it widely
read, and thus popular. One question could be asked here: Would it get as much
coverage, if some other organization covered it?
If the answer is
yes, there is nothing wrong with it. But if the answer is no, rethinking is
needed. Are we overdoing it?
Despite this
criticism, it has to be reaffirmed that the award has done more good than bad
to the morale of the players, and should be lauded along with the players who
receive the trophies.
-----
As far as Nepali
sports sector is concerned Yuvaraj Lama is the man to watch (and it is being
said after a lot of deliberation). The Member Secretary of the National Sports
Council, since his appointment, has rarely missed the headlines for more than a
week.
And now he's back
to it again, announcing Mission SAG 2012. Commendable, if you notice this is
2011 and never did we announce preparation for South Asian Games, this early.
Probably this is the first time, NSC has a plan, with a four-phase training
programme, with each phase having quarter of a year implementation schedule. Probably
this is the first time, science has taken precedence over guess work. Probably
this is the first time, determination, psychology and suitability to the
sport, is to be recorded. These were the words alien to sports practice.
Histrionics is Lama's
forte, and many who have watched him in filmdom will vouch for it. He loves a
big stage, and makes the best use of it. This is evident from his goal of 40
gold medals for Nepal, in next year's SAG. Quite a climb, you would think, if
you remember we bagged 8 in the last edition in Dhaka, last year.
Daydream? Not
exactly… But, maybe ambitious, if not unattainable… The Member Secretary will
have to get his entire team – which includes of groups and subgroups with
different interests, occupying spots the NSC – on one point agenda, if we were
to reach close to his goal.
We have not
forgotten the promises he made when appointed to the post. Of transparency,
good governance and keeping slate clean as far as political appointments are
concerned. He has failed once already, by appointing 'his men' at NSC, giving
in to political temptation of doling out jobs to party cadres. This is
interesting, if we take into account some of the employees at the organization
were removed, as too many people were considered 'unnecessary'. No competition…
No openness… No transparency…
Shakespeare,
in Julius Caesar wrote, “The evil that men do lives after them”… We believe, so
does one's good deeds… The Member Secretary may well decide what lives after he
says goodbye to his position.
(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 10th September, 2011)
Disclaimer: The picture shown in the post is courtesy: www.ekantipur.com
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