Mentors Comment:

• https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/nirmal_shekar/Sport-needs-an-ethical-revolution/article14475939.ece
• In the introduction, discuss how corruption is prevalent in almost all walks of life yet sports holds special value for the citizens and hence the expectations from the sporting arenas are more.
• In the 1st part of the main body, discuss what are the implications of corruption in sports in comparison to other walks of life.
• In the 2nd part of the main body, discuss the reason behind growing corruption in sports.
• Conclude with the way forward.

Answer:

Corruption and poor governance can be attributed to all the areas of human activity. Sports is not left out from such wrongdoings and it may not wipe out so easily unless corruption is allowed to flourish in other areas. But it doesn’t mean that sports can be allowed corruption because it has many negative impacts as compared to corruption in other areas.

Implications of corruption in sports as compared to other areas:

• Sport and sporting events have been used by revolutionaries and reformers to fight against racism. 
• It is commonly accepted that through sport one learns to persevere, to sacrifice and to be self-disciplined, work hard and to follow others.
• But for every great sportsman and athlete who are inspiring us, there are dozens of crooks who take advantage of every loophole there is in sport’s rules and regulations to bolster their status as winners and make sure they get hefty paychecks.
• Unlike other areas of human activity, sportsmen and teams are role model for our children and corruption can have a negative impact.
• Sports and teams are often seen to be a symbol of nation and such wrongdoings can’t be tolerated with prestige of nation
• Like many other areas of human activity, it is done at the cost of taxpayers money and they have complete right to ensure transparency and keep checks in the system 

But it shouldn’t be neglected:

• With the recent arrests of various top FIFA executives, who would have thought that they are exposed as the most corrupt administrators in the most popular sport on earth.
• If the football administration is under a dark cloud, then a few major sports have been spared the embarrassment of their bosses indulging in shady deals to stay on in power.
• Even the boss of the world athletics federation and a man whose integrity can hardly be questioned, has had a rough time dealing with the tough issue of drug use among Russian athletes.
• And the less said about cricket — particularly Indian cricket — the better. Wherever India is ranked among the world’s most corrupt nations, you can be sure that Indian cricket, by itself, will be lower still.
• Commercialization of sports in current times can’t be neglected which brings in different malpractices of commercial sphere
• Lack of governing standards and transparency in elections are also responsible for unethical practices
• Corruption may be the very antithesis of sport among the idealists but big money has blackened sport as never before with any number of parties — including fly-by-night operators throwing their hats into the ring — to try and make a quick buck or two.

Some sports organizations have even denounced themselves to be private clubs/organizations (BCCI, FIFA) and laws in respective countries have failed to bring them even under basic purview of RTI (leave even corporate ethics aside) which shows that corruption in all sector of human activity go hand in hand. So unless best practices, ethical standards, professionalism are introduced in every wake of human activity, we can’t do away with such ill practices