The one-year countdown to the Rio Olympics has started. This is the season when government becomes the target of the darts thrown at the abysmal support system for sportspersons. Attempts have been made these last few years to allocate funds to identify and aid medal contenders while trying and testing methods of financial disbursal through the original National Sports Development Fund, and its re-jigged avatar, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (Tops).
Now, Tops is in the middle of a familiar chaos, with athletes complaining that getting the government body to release funds is time-consuming and tedious. The administrative red tape and multi-layered clearances are once again throwing roadblocks that Indian athletes could do without. Reimbursements are stuck for coach fees, equipment costs and travel-training expenses. Ministry officials claim a scarcity of staff to deal with all the cross-checking of athletes’ requirements and training programmes with national federations and the inability of sportspersons to submit bills on time. While it would be convenient to sympathise with the athletes, a few riders are in order. Since this is taxpayer money, the ministry is not wrong in demanding accountability. There are tricky issues like remuneration to a family member who is also the coach. Then there is the choice of equipment — governments are used to floating tenders, going for the lowest quote, which need not always ensure quality. And not every athlete can be expected to be as wise as Abhinav Bindra, who can put together the entire training apparatus needed to bring home the gold.
It is high time the various sporting federations, which have joined the leagues’ bandwagon, created a structure for generating revenue and started funding their own athletes to reduce dependence on government. Medals bring pride and honour to the country and governments across the world are expected to back their Olympics. But for a country with much undone work in areas like health and education, the ideal funding structure for athletes ought to come more from the private sector and sponsorships, and less from government.
