A time of stark choices for sport

It seems implausible at times to even imagine that the ultimate orgy of sporting excellence enthralled us all barely a few months ago. So much has happened since the Olympics in London and much of it had barely anything to do with celebration. Sport is under siege and its passionate fans are suffering from bouts of seizure, struck down by a contagion that threatens to deface the fabric of sport beyond repair. Several incidents over the past few months have continually pillaged the two most treasured attributes of sport – tireless endeavour and riveting uncertainty. Drugs, deceit and debauchery are threatening to deprive sport of its last shreds of innocence lured by greed on one side and depraved disrespect on the other, working together to decimate its soul. Sport is being devastated by deceit, if we do not choose to redeem it now we will be forced to oversee its demise.

It is not as if sport hadn’t dealt with moral turpitude in the past, but the frantic pace at which the blows have rained over this very basic of human endeavours has left many seasoned followers badly bruised and battered. The first of those blows was dealt when the USADA drew the curtains open on the sordid tales of drug peddling that fuelled one of the most narcissistic campaigns for money and fame ever witnessed in the guise of sport. The much revered heroics of Lance Armstrong were shown up for what they were – nothing more than an organised crime that went unnoticed for long enough to make innumerable millions for the wily man and his henchmen.

Even as we were dealing with the body blow dealt by the cyclist, came a series of stories from the lush green pastures of Europe about the disgraceful treatment meted to players on the basis of their colour and chromosomes. Football, that beautiful game which enlivens even the most dispirited of human beings into a state of blissful levitation, was being plunged into a dark abyss by the deeds of certain inhuman elements that do not deserve the simple joys offered by the wonderful sport. Yet there they were, mouthing the most offensive prose in addressing the dribbler who was delivering them the divine dance.

The year began on a foul note, when Kevin-Prince Boateng was hurled profanity-laced abuse by the Pro Patria fans when he decided to walk off the pitch. His AC Milan team mates followed their team-mate in unison, causing global outrage at the continued poverty that is threatening to haunt the greatest sport on the planet. And it isn’t only the spectators that wear tinted shades, after all it is still too early to forget the Luis Suarez – Patrice Evra episode. And even if we did, there would be a litany of incidents to jog our memory and remind us that the ideal of Joga Bonito is far from realised in a world where the lines between straight and skewed are constantly melting into each other.

The imbecile utterance of Paolo Berlusconi during the introductions of Mario Balotelli, who AC Milan signed from Manchester City, turned the world full circle for a club that held up the mast against racism with that much celebrated walkover. It just serves to underline the deep seated prejudices that guide such behaviour and the fact that it could stem from both within and without the arena. Rambling in the Milanese dialect, Berlusconi said, “let’s go and watch the little black boy of the family,” or something to that effect. And then there was the fiasco in Israel, that showed that prejudice was no European vice.

Just last month, Beitar Jerusalem signed a couple of Chechen players breaking away from the tradition of not signing any Arab or Muslim players. While Arab players have long been a part of the Israeli team, the fans of the club though could not digest the recruitment of Zaur Sadaev and Gabriel Kadiev. They had broken out into unseemly racist chanting against the players and held aloft anti-Islamic banners at a league match this week. And the situation took a turn for the worse, when the administrative offices of the club were torched on Friday, damaging trophies and memorabilia. In fact, the collection of incidents only helps to make the obvious clear – racism in sport is a deep rooted evil prevalent among certain players, fans and administrators, a 360 degree malady that calls for structural change through lessons in culture and civilisation through early and sustained interventions.

As sports fans, we deserve better; the right to an even battle on the field is fundamental to our involvement as a spectator. Each of us with an interest in sport are paying the cable guy, the sports magazine and for a seat in the stadium primarily because we may live through 90 odd minutes of human excellence absorbed in the knowledge that there is a not a soul on the planet that knows what might transpire at the end of an exciting contest. In essence, we pay to experience the pleasures of an uncertain outcome. It is a ticket that offers us an enthralling ride, taking us on a beautiful journey whose destination is unknown to both pilots and passengers. If we only needed entertainment, we could have just found a seat at the nearest theatre for some scripted dope that would serve the purpose without us having to swallow any sense of betrayal.

The carbon on the charred memorabilia in Israel though is by no means the darkest shade of grey enveloping sport at the moment. Operation Veto, the investigations that unearthed the wide spread malaise of match fixing, has cast a dark cloud over the much loved sport of football. It is a telling comment too that not many have batted an eyelid at the stark findings of the Europol team that led this investigation. Such is the cynicism surrounding sport these days, that many commentators have only resorted to knowing acknowledgement of the shenanigans of the lustful men who think nothing of ganging up to fix the outcomes of this timeless endeavour.

It is apparent now, that while we were all busy drinking from the cup of joy, a few men and their sordid masters have hatched and handed us down to a vicious plan that included fixed outcomes, under-performance and deceitful behaviour by mostly well paid professionals too eager to sell their body and soul for a decent wad of printed paper and a misplaced sense of importance. The numbers present a stark and startling picture, the verdict is damning to say the least.

The investigation uncovered a sophisticated criminal network originating in Asia (said to be a cartel in Singapore) with tentacles entrenched in as many as 13 European countries involved in fixing several matches of varying significance. In all, 425 people – referees, administrators, players and criminals from more than 15 countries – are suspected of colluding to fix as many as 680 professional football matches (including 380 old matches we have known about from Europe). There have been as many as 300 new cases unearthed from Asia, Africa and Latin America, including 79 matches from Turkey. It is believed that the well oiled operation turned in betting profits in excess of $11 million through payments of around $3 million to people connected with the matches.

Over 13,000 emails have been analysed by the team to establish the convoluted design of this heinous network. Germany alone has convicted 14 individuals, underlining the strength and veracity of the case against the perpetrators. One can only hope that football authorities around the world come together to stem the rot without pussy-footing in the face of this real problem. The beautiful game is staring at a monster and the authorities owe it to the many generations of loyal fans to stand firm and deal with it in no uncertain terms. The report clearly underlines the dreadful extent of betting-led destruction that is ravaging sport in many forms across the globe.

Over the past couple of decades, sport has experienced the infusion of substantial sums of money and the marriage has resulted in many inconvenient relationships that threaten to alter its very fabric. While it is only justified that the men and women are rewarded handsomely for their pursuit of excellence, it is time for us to strongly criminalise any attempt at deceit. Only a strong framework of financial deterrent combined with harsh prison sentences can save sport from turning into scripted entertainment. As an ardent devotee of sporting endeavour, each deceitful endeavour leaves one violated, a feeling best expressed in the same terms as rape and abuse. Let us hope for prompt and stern action against any form of corruption so that you and I can continue to enjoy our weekly fix of sport without any lingering doubt about the authenticity of the athlete or the game at hand.

The devastation is for all to see and now is the time for making every effort needed to redeem this most primal of endeavours that captures the imagination of the many millions around the world. If we do not act now, we will be the generation that buried sport as we know it. The choice is stark and clear – will we be the flag bearers of human excellence through determination and hard work or the pall bearers of genuine sport?