Some refuse to change......................

On 21st November 2009, I wrote this post, after watching with horror the handball (twice over) Goal of Thiery Henry for France over Northern Ireland in the world cup play off.

I then wrote about Neeti and Nyayam as follows,

There is a clear distinction between NEETI and NYAAYM.  NEETI is Justice, and the various laws that goes with it in any organization. NYAYAM has a wider meaning. It denotes ethics and morality. Or simply the RIGHT THING to do. NEETI is to ensure NYAYAM. It is a means to achieve an end, and not by an end itself. But many a time, we get to see people hiding behind Neeti, forgetting that enforcing the neeti may not ensure nyayam. This is blatantly wrong and unjust.

 

I, then, went on to say how FIFA, Footballs World Governing Body refused to take corrective action when it was obvious to the whole world that France didnt deserve to go to South Africa, citing rules (Neeti), when they should have looked at whether the Right Thing was done or not (Nyayam).
 

Great Organizations, and people, learn from their mistakes. But most of our sports bodies are ostrich like and refuse to innovate. Cricket has done so and full credit to them. But it has to do with India taking leadership in the ICC. As long as England were in charge of ICC, they talked about tradition and refused to change. Pakistan brought in the concept of neutral umpires and India took lead in using technology to assist umpires. It is not perfect, but these days there is less acrimony. Tennis do not have much scope, but they are still going ahead with Hawk Eye, at least in major tournaments.

 

Football has been pathetic. The whole world was able to see the off side of Tavez against Mexico, or the Goal that was but not give of Lampard against Germany, or the 2 disallowed goals of USA or the handball of Fabiano - but all FIFA had to say was that the goals should not have been shown on the giant screen in the stadium. Ridiculous. Forget about using technology, which is difficult in a free flowing game like football, but at least FIFA could have gone ahead with the concept of appointing 2 additional goal post referees who will stand behind the goal post. This was mooted long time back, and would have solved both goal line errors like Lampards and also assist the Referee in identifying the foul committed in the penalty box. FIFA is making a laughing stock of themselves this World Cup. To attribute these bloomers to human error is silly, for these errors need not have happened in the first place, if only FIFA gets out of its ostrich mentality