Sport

Andrew Layman:  PCB CEO  

It might transpire that our legacy from the FIFA Soccer World Cup will be several white elephant stadia, but it begs the question: what will Qatar do with its air-conditioned masterpieces after its World Cup?    As we will find out going forward, there are just so many events that can be staged in stadia of such large capacity.   It will require private sector enterprise to identify these to ensure that the high costs of maintenance don’t become part of the growing municipal burden on rate-payers.    Our problem is exacerbated by the fact that most regular sports events draw comparatively sparse crowds.   From Saturday to Saturday, rugby seems to attract most spectators, but even on the best days there are usually some spare seats.   Cricket, test matches in particular, is poorly supported.   Whereas these contests draw full houses in Australia – the New Year test at Melbourne may well have 90 000 on a single day this Ashes year – and England, and sometimes India, the South African trend is for holiday-makers to favour the beach or whatever other recreation is available.   This has a great deal to do with the philosophies underlying the development of cricket stadia in this country.   The money required for their development often came from the corporate sector which committed itself to suites where clients and guests could be entertained.   Ticket prices for other spectators have always been on the high side, discouraging populist support.  In India, by contrast, the matches are accessible even to people who have limited resources.   Thus, cricket is the sport of the masses in that country.   Unfortunately, our most popular sport does not enjoy similar spectator support for run-of-the-mill league fixtures.

The World Cup was an obvious exception to the general trend.  In order to be part of this unique experience, ordinary people, many who could ill afford to do so, gave whole-hearted support.   Mr Blatter is due back in the country, ostensibly to conduct a post-mortem, but perhaps to defend FIFA in the company of friends.    The media has gone quiet on the issue of FIFA payments to South Africa; and, for that matter, on the hot topic of contracts and other matters about which questions have been raised.   Andrew Jennings, an investigative reporter who wrote a revealing book called “Foul”, has maintained for a long time that FIFA is riddled with corruption.   To him, recent revelations that some members of the FIFA executive accepted bribes, would have been nothing new.   He alleged some time ago that South Africa’s first bid defeat was orchestrated by the FIFA leadership, the infamous New Zealander who scuppered it by abstaining having dutifully served his master, which was not the body that he was supposed to represent.   Latest information that the Mayor of London has withdrawn an “invitation” for Blatter and other FIFA officials to stay as guests at the Dorchester during the London Olympics reveals that even that was a bribe, if the truth be told.  

It’s all way over the top.   It defies understanding in my mind why the bid process has to be so elaborate and so costly for countries wishing to host the tournament.   It is all such a waste, except of course to those people who occupy positions of influence who are feted by aspiring hosts and, generally, receive a range of material perks that compromise the spirit of sport.   People who believe that sports administrators are always interested in the sport they purport to serve are naïve.   The reality is that sports administration has become a very lucrative occupation with a host of gratuitous by-products and lifestyles of glamour.   While some retain a service ethic, others are there for the free ride.  Little wonder that attainment of senior status becomes a career aspiration which is often cut-throat.    Perhaps the greatest irony is that some of these administrators benefit more from the sport than the people who play.   If not, they certainly ride on the back of those with the talent to earn the money that keeps the sporting bodies in existence.

In the meantime, it seems to me that the development of young talent is being pushed into the background.   This is certainly the case in this country.  The more ‘professional’ the sport has become, the more pre-occupied it is with the top level of performers.  It is a vicious cycle of television, sponsorship, hype and extravagance, and all for comparatively few performers.    Schools with facilities are often in decline as far as their sport is concerned, most schools still have no facilities at all and there has been little effort to promote junior club sport to provide youthful opportunity.    When will reason prevail?       

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