02 February,2011 08:33 AM IST | | Ashwin Ferro
Bishan Bedi, Aditya Thackeray andu00a0KPS Gill hail apex court's ruling that officials of sports bodies are public servants and thus liable for prosecution under prevention of corruption act
The Supreme Court's ruling that officials of sports bodies are 'public servants' and liable to be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, could change the way sport is run in the world's largest democracy.
It's no wonder then that the move is being hailed by sportsmen, political leaders and sports officials alike.
Former India cricket captain Bishan Singh Bedi said the ruling is a slap on the face of corrupt administrators.
"The biggest after-effect of this ruling will be the ouster of a number of corrupt officials holding on to their top sports administrative posts. These people have become millionaires by simply ruling sports bodies without even having the remotest knowledge of the game. Look at cricket associations, for instance. Besides the Karnataka State Cricket Association, there is not a single state body that has former players running the show," said for the former India left-arm spinner.
Shiv Sena's young leader Aditya Thackeray, who recently intervened, at the behest of the players, to ensure a fair selection policy in the Mumbai University hockey team, said deserving sportsmen will finally get their due.
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"Sports involves people as players, officials and viewers, so it's wrong for any sports official to be living in a bubble of immunity. Officials must be responsible for their actions and transparent in their dealings. This verdict is a boon for sportspersons and the public alike and should percolate from the top level to the bottom-most level of schools and colleges."
Former Indian Hockey Federation chief and top cop KPS Gill wished the verdict would have come about half a century ago.u00a0 "This should have happened 50 years ago. Sports officials must be honest in whatever they do. Sadly, that has not happened and the consequences are there for all to see in the recent Commonwealth Games scam.
"However, we can now ensure that such a scam is never repeated," he said.u00a0
The man, who set the ball rolling five years ago, after filing a complaint against the Kerala Cricket Association in the Vigilance Court, Balaji Iyengar finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"When I first stood up against the corrupt officials of the KCA, people told me that I'm an insignificant part of society and the people I'm up against are big shots. However, today's ruling has reinstated the faith of the common man in the country's judicial system. With thousands of crores being allocated by the government to state sports bodies, sports is no more small issue. There is big money involved in events like the CWG and the Indian Premier League and this money must be accounted for. Thankfully, from now on, it will be," he said.
