'Scrap the Sports Ministry, SAI'

Former India hockey full-back and Member of Parliament Aslam Sher Khan squarely blamed the Indian Hockey Federation for the Indian team's poor showing on the international stage in recent times, saying it is because of the lack of accountability from those at the helm of affairs.

Talking to Faisal Shariff, Khan, who is best known for the equaliser he scored in the dying minutes of the 1975 World Cup semi-final against Malaysia, which India went on to win 3-2 in extra-time and enter the final, also lashed out at Sports Minister Uma Bharti, who, he said, is "mentally prejudiced and very inflexible". He suggested scrapping the sports ministry and Sports Authority of India and the formation of an all-India apex council comprising good and able sports people..

Excerpts from the conversation:

What are your views on the state of hockey in India?

It is a sad state of affairs. The rules and the playing levels have changed with the introduction of artificial surfaces but the people in the associations are the same, holding on to their chairs since years. There is no accountability in the Indian Hockey Federation and the public is given a vague picture of who is running the show. The federation is forever blaming the players. The recent sacking of six players after the 1998 Asian Games triumph in Bangkok was a big mistake.

You don’t get players overnight. The federation fears that the players will become famous and will overshadow the federation. So that's why they cut the players down to size every now and then. Jhatke de rahe hai unhe, kahi hero na ho jaye logo ki nazron mein [They are pulling them down because they fear the players will become heroes in the eyes of the public].

I think the federation should have gone to town after the 1998 Asian Games triumph. The euphoria that was created... it was very important for the federation to have taken the exultation to the cities and other towns for kids to take to the game. The required interest could have been built up.

What is the government's role in the promotion hockey? Why hasn’t the government done anything about it?

The government is in the middle of all this. They have never taken responsibility for anything. Firstly, the babies of the government need to go. Institutions like the National Institute of Sports and Sports Authority of India are eating into the sports budget. If the budget for sports is rupees 60 crore [600 million], then 40 crore [400 million] of that amount goes towards the salaries of the employees. These institutions are the white elephants of India.

I, personally, feel that the Sports Ministry should be scrapped. Also abolish the Sports Authority of India. Instead of this there should be an all-India apex council of good and able sports people.

When we earlier had a Council of Sports, India came amongst the top three in the medals tally at the Asian Games. We also won the hockey gold that year [1966, Bangkok Games].

How would you rate the performance of Sports Minister Uma Bharati?

It is a pity that an unwanted element had to be made sports minister of India. You see, when a government is formed, the sports minister is decided last. That's because they don't want that person anywhere. They make him sports minister. I think Uma Bharti was not needed; that's why they made her sports minister.

She can’t do anything. She is prejudiced mentally and very inflexible. Take the example of the Arjuna awards this year; she didn't know who had to be given the Dronacharya award and who should have been given the Arjuna award. She is clueless. If you analyse case by case, you would have scrapped the list altogether this year. Eighty per cent of the awardees don’t deserve the award. That is like salt in dough.

Akhtar Ali, father of national tennis champion Zeeshan Ali had sent his son’s request for the Arjuna award, but he -- Akhtar -- was awarded the Dronacharya award instead. It is such a joke!

You were also a part of the government at one time. What did you do to improve the scenario?

That is true. I was in power in 1998 and tried hard to make a difference and push for sporting reforms. But then I realised the truth after I came close to the BJP. I realised that these people are not interested in change and got out. I raised the issue of sports people in the parliament and spoke for one Jagjit Singh, who was a gold medal winner for India. That got the pension scheme started for sports people.

So where is hockey in the country headed now?

The Indian Hockey Federation has rotted badly. They are not accountable at all. Earlier, when the princely states patronized the sport, it was really elevated. The princes did it for the love of sport, with no interest in reaping profits. Today, if the corporates take to the sport, it will be more business-like. It will be like investing money for profit, which is not good for the game.

Even in Bhopal, the decline of hockey is such a tragedy. The politics involved in the sport has killed the growth of hockey altogether. To keep hockey alive club hockey has to be promoted; only then should the associations get involved. Here the rules are reversed.

The problem is that India has not made up its mind about sport. They treat it like a light subject. The sports ministry is like a gift, to keep certain sections happy. In short, we don’t know whether we want to be a sporting nation or not.

More interviews