FIFA: Real sport is not about the votes, never was

Headlines in newspapers across the world echo the same sentiment- Sepp Blatter continues to rule. It is as if the media has lost a holy war to the 209 FIFA delegates who have chosen to give their embattled president a fifth term in office. Despite being criticised the world over, Blatter knew one simple thing - he had the numbers. Years of careful nurturing of his vote bank meant his loyal aides would not desert him despite the many arrests and goings on of the last few days. Blatter has never bothered about public opinion. All he has bothered about is how the 209 would fare when it comes to the ballot box. And there he rules.

It is indeed frustrating to know that world football's governing body is headed by someone who Diego Maradona calls a "thief". Someone who Platini says doesn't deserve to head the FIFA anymore. Someone who can't make it to the US for the fear of being investigated. To be fair to Blatter, he is innocent till proven guilty but the fact that several of his key aides have either been charged or arrested, does make his election an unprecedented one. It also means that the ideas of ethics and fair play, which the FIFA supposedly stands for, are hardly given much credence in practise.

For us, sports enthusiasts and fans, Blatter's election as top dog evokes a strange reaction. Are we then to say the sport is all about intrigue, lust for power and behind the scenes machinations to hold on to power? Is it true that athletic feats of real genius do not matter anymore? Is it time to concede defeat and simply linger on?

Perhaps not. For Blatter and his ilk do not matter. For me at least it is the athletes, who work hours to nurture their Olympic dream, para athletes who are stories in themselves, sports stars like Maradona and Neymar who are real rags to riches stories and even our own Sachin Tendulkar, Sushil Kumar, Gopi Chand and the like make sport what it is. No athlete will ever draw inspiration from Sepp Blatter but millions will do so seeing Maradona and Neymar in action, none will ever aspire to be a BCCI mandarin but billions will want to be the next Sachin Tendulkar or Anil Kumble.

For sports fans across the world, the ideals of ethics and fair play, which have little or no significance for the men in power, still matter and that's why we still watch events like the FIFA and cricket world cups. Hence Srinivasan gets booed at the MCG when handing the trophy but when it comes to Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Clarke, the 90,000 present at the ground stands up to applaud.

We need to go beneath the gloss to find out what real sport is all about. For unless we do so it is easy to feel frustrated and disillusioned. For real sport is not about the 209 voters who decided Blatter's faith. Real sport is about the hours and hours of hard work under a baking sun for that one elusive moment of glory, that one attempt to touch the holy grail - an Olympic or FIFA gold medal. May be Blatter will never understand that.