Sports Promotion & Corporate Sector
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 17 2015 -
The institution of National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) in 1998 by the Government of India was aimed at not only promoting sports but also to mobilize resources from public money as well as private/corporate sectors and non-resident Indians.
Major source of funding has come from both public and private sectors. Various Sports events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Cricket; Hockey India League; Indian Super League for Football; Indian Football League and Pro-Kabaddi League have been liberally funded by the these corporate houses.
While State owned Public Sector Undertakings such as Oil & Natural Gas Commission; Indian Oil Corporation; Steel Authority of India Limited; Air India and many other PSUs have set up Sports Promotion Boards and are giving financial support as well as employment to sportspersons, the advent of big time investment by private sector has been seen as one of the most formidable contributions so far.
It is against this backdrop that Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal had recently said that inclusion of sports in school curriculum was not enough for improving the condition of games and sports.
However, the minister very well knows that since sports come under State subjects, primary responsibility for development and promotion of sports including in schools is that of the State Governments.
It should also be remembered that the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Sports Authority of India (SAI) had been supplementing efforts of the State Governments under its various Schemes towards achieving set target.
If one closely observes the growing trend on corportization of sports in India, the only commendable success had been that of cricket.
However, in recent times one has also seen that Hockey, Football and even traditional game like Kabaddi have attracted many corporate houses.
The IPL model has been more or less emulated by Hockey India League and Indian Super League in football.
Observers have noted that if at all there is a need for corporate involvement, it should begin right from the grassroots.
Moreover, the corporate houses also need to shed its commercial interests at least in the initial stage. This calls for a new reorientation of the objectives of the corporate world.
While doing so, the Sports Ministry should ensure that Sports Federations are also professionalized in such a way by getting rid of those whose ideas have refused to flow with the global focus.
For this, there is a need to make certain changes to the existing norms and rules that govern federations.
These norms have to be set so as to achieve excellence and not only cater to whims and fancies of those who still swear by redundant principles.
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