ICC Test Championship jinx looks to strike again

A dream project of the International Cricket Council, the ICC Test Championships finally got off the ground on August 1, 2019, with the final scheduled for June 10-14, 2021, at Lords. After two failed attempts in 2010 and 2017, ICC had managed to set the ball rolling, despite much criticism of its rather "lop-sided" points system that seemed to reward teams playing fewer Test matches in a bilateral series. 
That said, it was time for on-field action soon and till the forced suspension of all sporting activity in mid-March, India (360 points) and Australia (296) were the top-dogs indeed.
But with international travel extremely restricted and sporting contests coming under new post-Covid19 regulations, it seems the June date for the conclusion of the maiden ICC Test Championships may be pretty ambitious, to put it very mildly.
England are all set to take the field from July 8 at home against the West Indies, followed by Pakistan. 
With teams,however, not able to adhere to the ICC's Future Tours Programme due to prevalent conditions beyond human control appears to have definitely put a spanner in the works. The high powered ICC managing board will have to decide whether to push the entire competition back by a full 12 months or plain and simple abandon it.
The delay will push the next edition back as well in the inevitable cascading effect. But if the Test Championships are abandoned, the signal may not be the right one as ICC tries to gain better following of the red/pink ball cricket, as some have begun to refer to Test matches.
Adding an extra zing to the five-day contests was at the root of the launch of the ICC Test Championships. But it seems there may not be many choices left before ICC as time flies by.

It's more about money than sports

The decision to resume sporting competitions behind closed doors is indeed part of the normalcy that the world seems to be limping towards. But the recent spate of positive tests for Covid19 infection has once again put a huge question mark over the move as wheels seem to be coming off very quickly.
Organisers of major sports events have big contracts for television coverage, which forms almost 75 per cent of the revenue, be it a stand-alone event or multi-discipline. Obviously single sports had a better chance of testing the waters post the worldwide lockdown due to the pandemic and indeed made a cautious start as well.
Things began to come apart after the players tested positive at the exhibition tennis tournament and then followed the golfers at more than one PGA Tour event. Basketball has settled for a July 30 start to the NBA but with 16 positive tests out of 302, the danger still lurks. 
Liverpool in England and Bayern Munich in Germany have done their respective football federations as well as fans a huge favour by wrapping up the title race early. That gives them a much-deserved breather before the European action scheduled for a August resumption. With a winner decided, TV companies are contractually bound to honour the financial commitment even in case of another forced interruption.
Wimbledon had a huge insurance pay-out to take care of the abandonment of the 2020 tournament but the other two Grand Slam events, US Open and French Open obviously did not play it as smart. Now both are staring at a weakened field with continued restrictions on international travel. Cancellation may not be the option for either since they lack the insurance money to fall back upon.
That appears to be a driving force as both the events have plans to go ahead with the competition in the coming months.
TV calls the shots as sports must be played without spectators to limit the chances of another outbreak. That makes the events even more vulnerable as was the case with the Adria Open tennis exhibition so enthusiastically put together by world number one Novak Djokovic, making the champion player a butt of jokes and ridicule, even his nickname of  'Joker' getting the treatment.
Sports is all about healthy competition but current times are not really conducive to one. Lure of money has made several organisers push the envelope but results have been more damaging than even they had imagined.

Without govt grants Indian sports left starving

The Delhi High Court decision to cancel the recognition of all national sports federations granted by the ministry of youth affairs and sports has left games floundering for want of finance.
The court struck down the annual recognition to 54 NSFs, granted by MYAS for disbursement of funds. The government funds are meant to pay for the permanent staff of NSFs as well as support training of athletes for international competitions apart from organising national level competitions. 
Essentially the NSFs are left to fend for themselves and, apart from the Board for Control of Cricket in India, there is hardly any that can support their activities without government support. Even Sports Authority of India facilities come at a cost which NSFs can ill afford sans the dole from MYAS.
The legal challenge to the process of annual recognition to NSFs has handed the bureaucrats in MYAS with a fresh stick to get sports officials to toe the line. Recognition has been subject to adherence to the National Sports Code which has several stipulations regarding office bearers and their tenure, etc.
Now that the MYAS has been left with no option but to withdraw recognition granted earlier in the year, the financial year 2020-21 may turn into a blank since it is now up to the ministry to streamline the process yet again and seek legal approval for the same through a special leave petition in the Supreme Court of India.
If the SLP route is indeed opted by MYAS, it will mean that no money can be released without court approval. With a rather lengthy pause imposed on sporting activities of all kinds, it perfectly suits the MYAS to move at its own pace as there is hardly any urgency. The decision of the International Olympic Committee to defer the Tokyo Olympics to July 2021 could be the ideal ruse for holding back on the pay-outs, so to speak, since it hardly affects preparations for major international meets of which there are hardly any looming on the horizon.
It could end up "saving" the government to the tune of over 300 crore rupees as the legal muddle needs to be solved before moving forward. Having tied itself in knots with regards to the sports code, there is no way the MYAS can back-track on the issue. 
NSFs could be looking at a bleak future, starved of funds as they would be since the current Covid19 pandemic has left little room for even corporate support for sports activities. Sports persons who have already booked a berth in the Tokyo Games would be the hardest hit since their training is fully financed through government funds.
MYAS needs to find a way out of the mess sooner rather than later, else even reopening sports activities post the lockdown may remain a pipe dream with SAI forced to close its doors even on the elite internationals.

Big chance to clean up the dope mess

Positive dope tests of as many as 22 young rowers has come as a shock to the entire sporting community in India. The 16-18 year olds were part of the team that won two silver medals in the Asian Junior Rowing Championships held in Pattaya, Thailand, from December 16 to 22,2019.
The campers, who all tested positive for the same substance probenecid, were together at Hyderabad with their coaches when their samples were collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency as part of its out-of-competition testing programme.
Results of the urine samples were sent to the accredited laboratory in Doha, Qatar, since the National Dope Testing Laboratory in under suspension since August 2019 by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Adverse Analytical Finding notice of charge has been served to the rowers, all of whom are still minors.
Probenecid is listed as a masking agent and figures in WADA's catalogue of specified substance category as a prohibited performance-enhancing drug. It's usually taken intravenously and is supposed to help users suddenly reduce weight.
More than the use of a banned substance by a team of junior international medal-winners, the positive test points at a malaise that affects Indian sports right across the spectrum. Intravenous administration at such a large scale would have been impossible to hide, even if done under strict medial supervision. Gone are the days of the Iron Curtain when institutional doping had been the norm rather than the exception.
So fingers naturally point to the food supplements given to the campers by Sports Authority of India, again on the recommendation of the coaches. As per procedure, each supplement must be approved by the medical team at the training centre before being given to athletes to prevent just this kind of an accident. No longer can herbal supplements and across-the-counter medication be freely used by sports-persons.
Even as the blame game between SAI and Rowing Federation of India has started, perhaps the opportunity can be leveraged to work out modalities that do not put the campers at any risk. Remember its elite athletes whose future could be at stake!
Hap-hazard management on part of SAI and lackadaisical attitude of national sports federations will hardly help. NADA, which organises extensive information sessions on banned substances, has clearly stated that RFI never approached it for one. What is most intriguing is that RFI has tried to shift the blame back on SAI saying most of the campers came from the Khelo India initiative of the ministry of youth affairs and sports. RFI, however, cannot shift responsibility of national campers on anyone else.
Rather than mud-slinging, it will be immensely beneficial for Indian sports if parties concerned can put their heads together and chalk out a road-map for the future! Ball is squarely in SAI's court since it runs the Khelo India programme for young athletes and also provides the infrastructure and support for training to international sports persons. 
Time for NSFs, MYAS and SAI to come down hard on the dope menace!

Sport easy target in political slug-fest

Match-fixing allegations in Sri Lanka appears to be all about politics and nothing to do, per se, with sports or any on-field action.
A former Sri Lanka sports minister has announced in a television interview that the 2011 ICC World Cup final was sold to India. However, he hastens to add that no players were involved but "certain parties were". It defies logic how the result of a match could be fixed without keeping the players in the loop. After all its the players who must perform, or under-perform in this case, to get at a pre-conceived result.
Not so unexpectedly the reaction of the then Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara has been one of incredulity. While Sangakkara has  quite rightly demanded solid evidence for a thorough probe by the ICC anti-corruption unit, his teammate and former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayewardene immediately pointed to the upcoming elections in the island nation, saying "the circus has started".
Mahindananda Aluthgamage was indeed the sports minister of Sri Lanka in 2011 and attended the ICC World Cup final at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium along with his country's then president Mahinda Rajapaksa. 
It was a tough one, no doubt, to swallow for Sri Lankan cricket fans that their team was unable to defend a rather big total of 275. But questioning the defeat more than nine years later makes little or no sense. There are only a handful of players still active from the 22 that figured in that title clash. Most have moved on, some still with cricket in other roles while others explore varied avenues, including politics.
India's then opener Gautam Ganbhir, who top-scored in the chase with 97, is a member of Parliament. 
With elections scheduled for August in Sri Lanka, cricket becomes an easy target to settle scores. The shoot-and-scoot tactics may be fine for the political realm, but it does take the sheen off the performances and achievements of people who have toiled hard to make a mark at the highest levels.
There's no doubt that cricket rules the hearts of south Asians but it would behove the public to ignore such scandalous pronouncements without an iota of proof!

ICC T20 World Cup good as gone for Circa 2020

Covid19 pandemic has all but put paid to any hopes of holding the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia this year. Given the current scenario, it may turn out to be an entirely loss-making effort to even go ahead with the preparations with just about everything up in the air from travel and visas to hotels, not just for players but television crews as well.
Holding an international game of cricket involves far more than merely putting the two sides on the ground along with supervising crew of officials. With almost zero chances of spectators being allowed to attend games, despite Australia having a rather low rate of the viral infection, the role of TV coverage assumes far greater significance.
To get a world-class TV feed out to the homes world-wide the event would need more than one crew given Australia's geographical size which doesn't make life any easier in so far as travel is concerned. And each crew comprises of around a hundred persons from the loader to the technicians to the production management crew to the former players as part of the commentary team!
Obviously no one country can supply such a large number of people and for an event like the ICC T20 the crew has to be sourced globally. That brings into question the international travel which is NOT open just yet and governments appear to be in no hurry to open their borders. Then follows the quarantine requirements which would mean extra days of stay for the crew members.
So much needed for the human resources!
Then comes the equipment which again must be sourced internationally! Given that the much-debated Decision Review System in cricket, much like other sports, depends solely on the TV coverage, which has all the different gadgets required to assist the on-field umpires reach a definite decision, each crew must also carry with them almost 10 tonnes of equipment.
And equipment is more than mere cameras and lenses. There are replay and graphics machines which are all connected together with more than 8 km of high quality cables. Crew need to time to rig each venue and then dismantle the entire set-up before moving on to the next.
ICC T20 being a top class world event cannot be restricted to only a few venues, say like an Indian Premier League could be. After all IPL is only a domestic competition which attracts participation from all over the world, pretty much like football's Premier League in England or La Liga in Spain.
Given that crew would, in all likelihood, spend nearly a month (15 days each in Australia and country of residence) in quarantine, they would expect to be compensated adequately, further increasing costs.
TV production rights for ICC events are held by one company while another holds the world-wide broadcast rights. Radio rights belong to a third company. Wonderful business for ICC under normal circumstances but in the present situation it could all turn out to a huge nightmare not only for hosts Cricket Australia but all involved.
It may just be a better idea to take a final call on pushing the ICC T20 to next year and allow each country to use the time as they deem fit. 
IPL would be a top choice for Board of Control for Cricket in India. And BCCI will surely not be disappointed if they get enough advance warning about the availability of dates in the international calendar. IPL could be restricted to fewer centres with far less logistics involved as franchisees appear agreeable to the idea of holding a scaled-down event rather than no-event at all!

Like all businesses IPL too needs revamp post Covid19

Circa 2020 has changed the world lives and does business! Social distancing and work-from-home may be the new mantra for life and sports can hardly remain unaffected.
Even as football and golf have set the ball rolling, both literally and figuratively, playing before empty galleries, other sports must too look for strategies to rebound from the enforced closures due to the worldwide Covid19 pandemic. It's not an isolated phenomenon but something that has brought the global community to a grinding halt, locking people indoors when the season was to soak in the sun and enjoy the outdoors!
The new mores that have sprung up globally controls just about everything. Businesses need to re-invent themselves to remain viable and sports cannot afford to ignore the writing on the wall. If professional sport must continue to thrive and entertain, rules of engagement will change.
The Indian Premier League, faced with the prospect of a total washout in 2020, finds itself struggling to slot itself into the cricket calendar as soon as it can find a big enough opening, subject, of course, to health and infection issues being taken care of. IPL is a business that carries with it a fairly large amount of sub-sets through its journey.
Board of Control for Cricket in India has indicated that it was not at all averse to holding the IPL in 2020 behind closed doors, giving out a clear signal to the stakeholders to get themselves ready for resuming business at short notice. And it is never going to be business as usual since the parameters have undergone a sea change!
First things first, number of venues hosting the games may need to be severely curtailed. Given the current scenario, the big four metros are all but ruled out. So the search will be for smaller cities with enough facilities to host more than one team at any given time with plenty of safe places for stay and practice. That, fortunately for the franchisees, is BCCI's lookout and not theirs.
Franchisees need to re-orient their business strategy as there might not be home games at all. Without spectators, there can hardly be any home advantage even if playing in home centre since other teams may also be using the same city and stadium as their base. It will cut down on travel costs but kill the hospitality earnings!
Lots of sponsors cut deals that, in large parts, involve in-stadia engagements. That may not be possible at all but still keeping them involved may be a challenge that franchisees need to start working on. Given the ban on public congregations, fan parks and the like may yet not be feasible options. 
Even a truncated tournament with fewer matches is more than acceptable to both franchisees and broadcasters but BCCI and the IPL governing council are making their best effort to go the whole hog as far as fixtures are concerned.
Its all up in the air but one thing is certain ... It cannot be business as usual in these trying times and only fresh ideas will win the day. Its a challenge for all involved and whoever wins the day stays afloat!

ICC indecision boosts IPL chances

International Cricket Council has deferred till July any decision on the Twenty20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia from October 18 to November 15, 2020. Not surprising given the current uncertainty over international travel and related matters which are likely to affect holding an event of this magnitude.
The clear October-November window presents an opportunity for the Board of Control for Cricket in India to push the case of holding the 2020 edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League. After all the IPL features players from most countries, except Pakistan, that have booked places in the T20 World Cup.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly's letter to all affiliated associations to the effect that the Board is exploring all possibilities, including playing in empty venues, is a strong pointer in this direction. The message is not to hold back on preparations for the upcoming season. After all pitches and grounds get a much-needed make-over during these summer months, in readiness for the new season that kicks-off around mid-September.
IPL's chances of not missing out on the 13th edition is due to the fact that most commercial commitments would already have been put in place by the time that the country-wide lock-down in India came late March. Some re-negotiations may be required but largely there is a basic framework in place to go ahead with the tournament. 
There was also the niggle of the Asia Cup being penciled for September but BCCI's clear stand than 14-day quarantines either side of a 12-day tournament doesn't make sense has all but put a lid on the event. 
India were scheduled to play a series of 50-over as well T20 internationals in Sri Lanka but BCCI has categorically termed it as "not feasible"!
Given the present scenario, with a complete ban on commercial international travel, it will indeed be a challenge to push ahead with anything. IPL may happen in the autumn but all would depend on how the coming months turn out vis-a-vis the Covid19 infection spread.
IPL may be much easier to organise since travel would be all domestic, once the international players wanting to participate reach India. Again that is subject to lifting the ban of commercial international flights, though domestic flights have been operational with severe checks all round.
Life is on hold and so is sport, even though baby steps have begun on the football fields of Europe as well as PGA Tour golf in USA.

All going well, international cricket may return to the tube early July. But the final word on IPL may not come until August, or even later, when there's likelihood better clarity on travel and other related aspects. Lest we forget, movement of television crews will be a key part of all future plans since empty stadium seats must be replaced by eye-balls from home!

Nonetheless IPL stands a better chance with each passing day that ICC doesn't take a firm decision on the T20 World Cup!

ICC making a mockery with restart guidelines

Test match cricket is set to get a new lease of life on July 8, 2020, with England facing the West Indies at the Agean Bowl, Southampton. And the International Cricket Council has gone ahead and issued a fresh set of guidelines which will be in operation for at least 12 months as sport, much like life, limps back to some kind of normalcy.
Southampton and Manchester's Old Trafford have been picked by the England and Wales Cricket Board as both venues have hotels attached to the ground facilities itself. Quite a comedown from the original itinerary that figured games at the Oval, Edgbaston and Lord's but a "bio-secure" environment became the new norm for resumption of international cricket.
What is surprising, though, is the fact that ICC seems to be tying itself in knots in order to support the ECB effort. ICC has published a set of guidelines that will be applicable to all forms of recognised cricket and attempts to address the concerns raised by the prevalent Covid19 pandemic.
First things first, it did away with the posting of neutral umpires for Test match cricket and added a second review per innings for each team through DRS.
One of the most significant guidelines is allowing a team to substitute a player who shows symptoms of Covid19 infection. Its the responsibility of the match referee to ensure a like-for-like replacement as far as possible. But the guidelines are silent on how many such substitution one team is allowed in a Test match or even after how many substitutions will the game be halted as a precautionary measure.
Similarly, use of saliva to shine the cricket ball has been henceforth banned though players are allowed to use ONLY sweat, since application of artificial substances continues to be prohibited. And then follows the almost ridiculous suggestion of fielders asked to sanitize their hands each time they handle the ball.
Is that even possible, or practical? Fielders relaying the ball back to the bowler will each need to clean their hands, or for that matter, does the bowler sanitize hands after the over or after each delivery? 
Umpires are suggested to use gloves when they handle the ball and are also required to keep a sharp eye on ball management. Teams will be docked five penalty runs if found in violation of the saliva-use ban but match officials may have little option but to go with evidence of television cameras! Smelling the ball is OUT, as is checking the feel and texture with fingertips. That leaves a lot of room for a judgement call, especially when home umpires will be officiating the game.
Similarly, social distancing norms to be maintained as much as possible, especially when celebrating fall of wickets, but limiting use of dressing room facilities yet again borders on the absurd. On the one hand, players are restricted from handing over items of personal attire/ use like jumpers, caps and goggles to the umpire, but where does a bowler leave them if not in the dressing room?
Changes for the sake of making changes makes a mockery of the entire exercise. ICC needs to evaluate its requirements in greater detail before launching such guidelines!
Yes, ECB alone stands to lose more than 250 million British pounds if no international cricket is played in the summer but it may have been a better option to restart the game with the shorter format which would entail fewer risks. After all Covid19 substitutions are not permissible for the limited overs contests as these are completed within a single day.
A couple of ODIs and T10Is might have helped test the waters before falling back upon the five-day Tests, given the chance of bigger damage if, heavens forbid, a player or official tests positive for Covid19 infection during a game!
There's still time for ICC to sit down with ECB  and the West Indies Cricket Board along with broadcasters to re-work the schedule for a safer resumption!

SAI re-organisation a welcome step

Sports Authority of India has decided to discontinue its coaching diploma courses in three disciplines - cricket, lawn tennis and soft ball. Plus a new evaluation process for foreign coaches with assessment by trainees being given due consideration. 
All are steps in the right direction as SAI moves ahead with getting its house in order from a top heavy organisation to a more hands-on entity moving beyond merely managing infrastructure and facilities.
Not so long ago, SAI was happily labelled the "white elephant" of the ministry of youth affairs and sports. It had indeed become a convenient parking place for bureaucrats seeking an extended stay in big cities, especially the national capital.
Now with streamlining of appointments as well as a rethink on how to push forward in growth of sports as a means of livelihood translates into greater involvement. 
Since inception in the early 1980s SAI has been tasked with managing the training and preparation for top sports persons bound for international competitions. Later its role was expanded to providing opportunities to budding young talent to hone their skills at its grossly under-utilised facilities. 
Apart from these direct responsibilities, it was also made the conduit for national sports federations, which were given office space in its widespread complexes, for release and monitoring of grants doled out by the government.
Training remains its prime responsibility but along with that SAI has also expanded its role in country-wide talent search through its various schemes from time to time. It had a very successful run with its tribal talent scouting which threw up several promising youngsters that went on to do the country proud. 
Bureaucratic wranglings, however, put paid to a lot of its plans as officers were shuffled at the whims and fancy of MYAS. In fact, at one point of time things appeared so badly managed that there was indeed a thought in the ministry corridors if SAI needed to exist at all.
Better sense prevailed and the results are now beginning to show. 
Cricket coaching without support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, had little meaning. Same could be said for lawn tennis where there was minimal involvement of the All India Tennis Association. Soft ball as a competitive sport has yet to strike a chord in India. These ground realities meant little as the files kept moving and courses continued rudderless.
Hopefully, all that would now be a thing of the past as SAI appears to be getting its act together with moving courses out of its flagship Patiala centre to other places where facilities could be better utilised. 
Adding more seats for its coaching schemes and giving due importance to more popular disciplines like wrestling does give the impression that SAI is getting serious about its role as a sports promoter and facilitator.
SAI centres are spread right across the country and its reach gives it a huge hinterland to tap talent. Its only hoped that the reforms hitherto mooted are allowed to settle in since results cannot show overnight. 
Sincere effort is bound to bear fruit and SAI seems to have finally got its heart in the right place!

No more free lunches for foreign coaches in India

Gone are the days when having a foreign coach in any sporting discipline in India was deemed a necessity. At long last the ministry of youth affairs and sports, through its operational wing Sports Authority of India, has declared that all foreign coaches will be evaluated by not just in-house experts but also the trainees themselves.
Indeed a welcome step since the "self-evaluation" clause is a throwback to the Soviet era when most coaches came to India under cultural exchange programmes, hence virtually free since their remuneration was taken care by the home country. The collapse of the Iron Curtain and dismemberment of the erstwhile Soviet Bloc put an end to the "friendly" exchange even though the employment of foreign coaches continued with the same gusto!
Realisation seems to have finally dawned upon the MYAS and SAI that the fat salaries paid to coaches from abroad can, in certain cases, be better spent on improved training and infrastructure development.
After all, as one former national player as well as coach put it, it's not easy to handle an Indian team given the geographical and cultural diversity of the country. Players from the north tend to be more aggressive compared to their southern counterparts. Diverse eating habits and lifestyle also needs to be understood before the eclectic mix is thrown into the cauldron called national camp.
A definite eye-opener was Team India's experience with former Australian cricket captain Greg Chappell, who tried to be more skipper than mentor! Board of Control for Cricket in India has since then tried a mixed bag from South African Gary Kirsten to current coach Ravi Shastri with pretty sound results!
Coaching worldwide is as much about man-management as skill and strategy training. With a fairly well-equipped staff of physical trainers and psychiatrists all available with SAI, it was only a matter of time when the role of foreign coaches came under scrutiny.
It's an encouraging start that the person whose salary and expenses will be borne by SAI must be accountable for improved results. Wards will be able to assess and provide feedback on the performance of the foreign coaches, rather than the monthly self-appraisal that was hitherto the norm.
A professional approach is certainly required both from coaches as well as players and both need to be working in tandem for best results. There have, no doubt, been significant contributors across most sports disciplines especially in raising fitness levels and improving strategic awareness.
Bagging an Indian coaching assignment will no longer be a bed of roses, even though it is a challenge that many outside the country appear quite willing to accept! Reforms are the order of the day and one can only hope for better foreign coaches whenever and wherever required.

About time institutions got due recognition & voting rights

Indian sports, like most of the world, remains largely amateur. Support in terms of grants and jobs is essential to attract talent, however widespread the net may be cast. Its a fact that all national sports federations acknowledge, albeit reluctantly.
Institutions, both private and public sector, play a key role in providing this support right across the spectrum of sports disciplines! Unfortunately, barring Indian Railways and Services, other institutions like banks, petroleum companies, steel plants, police and para-military, airlines and various other govt departments have been largely ignored in both in terms of recognition as well as a say in NSF affairs through voting rights.
Till India's independence, sports, much like the arts and literature, was supported by the rich princely states. But with the royalty marched off into the sunset, it became incumbent upon the government and industry to nurture and encourage talent in these field.
Support has not been lacking either but with time it has begun to show a declining trend right across the board. The primary reason, it emerges, is the lack of "respect" given by NSFs to these institutions. 
In fact, the Justice Lodha committee reforms for the Board of Control for Cricket in India suggests completely doing away with voting rights for institutions along with one-state one-vote clause! BCCI for its part was much in need of this re-organisation since some states like Maharashtra held four votes while others awaited their turn for admittance and approval. It is indeed bizarre that BCCI's West Zone has only two states - Gujarat (3 votes comprising Gujarat, Baroda and Saurashtra) and Maharashtra (3 plus 1 comprising Mumbai, Maharashtra, Cricket Club of India and Vidarbha in Central Zone).
Not very long ago, Punjab alone had four votes in hockey ... Punjab, PEPSU, Patiala and Punjab Police! Similarly, Assam Rifles had a separate vote in boxing, while banks enjoyed VIP status in table tennis and Central services like Income Tax, Audit and Customs & Central Excise have all enjoyed a say at one time or another in various sports.
Time has come for NSFs with active participation of the ministry of youth affairs and sports, to streamline the invaluable institutional support in terms of voting rights and a say in the internal workings!
NSFs, left to their own machinations, are sure to oppose any such restructuring, complaining about government interference. Fact is, without government support in terms of grants and all else, no sports federation, barring BCCI, is in a position to even survive!
Recognition must be given where its due so that institutional support does not ebb and flow as per the whims and fancies of the officer in charge.
It would be a win-win situation with sports persons getting jobs, rather than be handed short-term contracts, and a vote goes a long way in reassuring institutions that they have an active role to play in NSF affairs.