It’s not for the love of the game
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday February 15, 2022 08:05
When they make a (personal) decision to contest for political office, whether it’s national or sports level, don’t think you were at the front queue of their thoughts. Yes, you were at the backend. But they will tell you it’s because of you and the need to fix sport that they decided to contest. Far from it. Admittedly, not all have nefarious intentions, others are indeed just sheep in a sheep skin. They are well meaning. However, the majority are cunning opportunists who want to siphon public funds, enhance their reputation or engage in any self-serving venture by any means.
If you want to test their sincerity just tell them to leave office if indeed they serve people’s interests. They will refuse. Ask any sports administrator, the politician that is, to step down today, they will furrow their brow. Yes, they will frown on you.
The worst word you can utter to them is ‘step-down’ or its synonym. It’s the equivalent of an insult. They don’t like it and they will never like it anytime soon. But remember when they campaign, they tell you everything you want to hear and how much you are so dear to their aspirations. But put them in office then you will see arrogance on feet, moving all over the place. They have dastardly intentions and rarely care about you and the sport they purportedly serve. They want to stick to that position as if there is super glue on the office seat.
Some will tell you they are volunteering their service, making personal sacrifice. They will tell you how much they use their resources, including financial, to make the sacrifices. But when they start fighting (which is their hallmark anyway), their names being dragged in the mud, and you tell them, since you are just volunteering and in some instances, your business is suffering as a result of this, why don’t you quit? They will almost kill you. Actually they might not talk to you again. They hate words like ‘step down’ or ‘quit’ with passion. It’s similar to a couple in a dispute, the last advice they want to hear is ‘separate’. They want you to suggest other cosmetic alternatives, even if it’s clear the best solution is to go separate ways.
Yes, there are still selfless individuals who genuinely want to serve sport but they belong in the minority. In fact they are endangered species.
Most think of the first class seat aboard some of the world’s biggest flying machines, licking ice cream, watching their favourite movies, 36,000 feet above the ground and posing for pictures with celebrities. They dream of the numerous trips around the world, seeing cities they only saw on television. They think of how much they will amass in sitting allowance as they gallivant across the world.
You think when they are up in the air licking ice cream and with such lucrative perks, you, an ordinary person, matter in their minds? Do you still think it’s about sport or them? If it’s about the welfare of sport, just tell one of them to quit today and you will hear what they will say. You are likely going to be a recipient of an unpalatable or worse still, you will get physical advice, if you don’t social distance.