Playing the spoilsport

History is replete with instances of governments making use of sport as an instrument to get political leverage and patronage, says S. THYAGARAJAN.

IT IS becoming increasingly difficult to decipher the norms applied by the Government for determining sports ties with Pakistan. The Ministry disapproved the request of the Board of Control for Cricket in India to take part at Sharjah, and prohibited it from playing in ``any non-regular cricketing venues'' for at least three years.

While the larger question of the Government injecting politics into sport has predictably triggered a debate, there is genuine surprise over the continuing contacts with Pakistan in disciplines like hockey, golf, squash and volleyball. By inserting the clause ``non-regular cricketing venues,'' the Sports Ministry has fortified its decision from being attacked as purely political and directed only against Pakistan.

The argument that the image of Indian cricket remains sullied in the wake of the betting scandals, and that it need not be further contorted in events perceived to be under the influence of betting cartels and bookies resourceful enough to influence the outcome, still has the winning edge.

For all the pious pleadings and moralistic stance for keeping sport insulated from political interference, history is replete with instances of governments making use of sport as an instrument to get political leverage and patronage. Even the Olympic Games, conceived to sanctify sport and transcend the barriers of politics, race, religion and creed have been subjected to political pressures.

India sacrificed a glorious chance of winning the Davis Cup against South Africa in 1974 forfeiting the final on the question of apartheid. In 1986, India chose to stay away from the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, joining the boycott of nations which protested against Britain's refusal to impose economic sanctions against South Africa. However, no restrictions were placed on Indians individually playing South Africans in tennis.

Sports contacts with Pakistan have remained an issue since independence. The complexities continue to enlarge, especially after the Kargil conflict. At that point, the national sentiment was overwhelmingly against any contacts with Pakistan not only in sport but in other areas as well. Even the regular hockey tours were put on hold after two successful years. But, as seen recently, the Government was not averse to federations inviting the squash team for the Asian junior championships in Chennai, or the tennis player Aisam Quereshi, the Pakistani star on the ATP Tour, figuring in the Gold Flake Open in Chennai and in several other tournaments. The Ministry also cleared the hockey team for the nine-nation Prime Minister's Gold Cup in Dhaka, where India won against Pakistan in a final after the SAF Games in 1995.

What the Sports Ministry should clarify in the wake of the recent fiat is about India's participation in the South Asian Federation Games in Islamabad this year and its stand on inviting Pakistan for the inaugural Afro-Asian Games in New Delhi in November. That the Ministry has to do a lot of explaining on what is seen as a clear case of double standards on the issue of sports links with Pakistan goes without saying.

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