MUMBAI, JULY 16: The Western India Football Association (WIFA) has only itself to blame for the financial soup it is in. The sordid story, the latest chapter of which unfolded this week with the groundsmen striking work for not being paid their salaries, endangers not only the association's well-being but also the health of football in the city. WIFA is on the threshold of becoming a sick unit.

Vivek Singh of Procam, who brokered the deal between Gulf Oil and WIFA, does not mince his words. ``I hope WIFA does not jeopardise its own future. The three-year contract with Gulf Oil ends this year. It is up to WIFA to find their way out of this mess.''

Gulf Oil earmarks Rs 10 lakh per annum for three years as their support for the local league; approximately 50 per cent of the funds reach WIFA -- Rs 2.88 lakh for maintenance, and Rs 2.3 lakh prize money this year.

The Rs 2.88 lakh towards maintenance is paid in two instalments. The first instalment of Rs 1.44 lakh wasspent even before the league got under way; WIFA is now begging Procam to release the second. Singh said, ``it is obvious they have mismanaged their funds.''

Fortunately for WIFA, the Rovers Cup will continue to be supported by ITC for five years, and the contract is only into its second year. An ITC spokesperson said today they will continue to honour the contract, and any mismanagement of funds was WIFA's internal matter.

WIFA mess its own making

WIFA insists it has been deprived of a steady source of income by the state ruling banning weddings at the Cooperage. In the absence of a fixed revenue, WIFA says it cannot bridge the gap between maintenance expenditure and meagre revenue from sponsorships. Wali Mohammed reiterated that WIFA continues to pin its hopes on the state government partially lifting the ban on weddings. Otherwise, it is doomed.

But officials of other sports bodies in the city argue that WIFA cannot wish away its problems by blaming the government. The officials concur thatits poor financial health was an indication WIFA was mismanaging its funds. Some of them spoke strongly, saying WIFA officials were siphoning off funds. They allege WIFA's accounts are being doctored -- where one truck mud is procured, bills for ten trucks are passed in the books.

When these comments were put before Wali Mohammed, he first maintained a stony silence and then said, ``Humaarey paas funds hi nahi to mismanage kaisey karey (We have no funds to mismanage).''

The officials say WIFA has done nothing to tap alternate sources of revenue. As a thumb rule, each sporting body The Indian Express spoke to had a fixed corpus fund, over two times its annual expenditure. For instance the Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) has fixed deposits of Rs 5-6 lakh, interest from which defrays part of their Rs three lakh annual expenditure.

In contrast, WIFA has not bothered to raise any corpus. WIFA has no corpus funds, says Wali Mohammed. Asked why no effort was made, especially after the banon weddings, Mohammed said, ``that requires planning. I'm not the only one in the association. Planning should be joint.''

Treasurers of Bombay Hockey Association (BHA) and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) feel a strong corpus is essential for conducting their respective sports successfully. Both the knowledgeable gentlemen added their associations were lucky to have people at the helm who did not siphon funds away.

One official, seeking anonymity, said it was surprising that an association which has a successful businessman, bidi king and Member of Parliament Praful Patel, as its president had not bothered to address the problem.

Both MSLTA and BHA have an edge over WIFA, though: their premises continue to raise money through weddings and corporate rents. In the case of MSLTA, the revenue almost takes care of 50 per cent of the annual budgeted expenditure. WIFA is hoping they will be allowed to build a club house at Cooperage to generate some revenue, but the state government isunlikely to give any permission.

But weddings or no weddings, BHA has never been in the red, while MSLTA has the astute financial knowledge of president Bharat Oza, a businessman and a chartered accountant, to thank for its well-being.

Solutions

Sharad Kannamwar, MSLTA treasurer: Football is a more popular sport than tennis and it should not be difficult to find sponsors. If there is a good man at the top with strong political and corporate connections, like Suresh Kalmadi, Cooperage should be flooded with funds in two years time.

Govind Chokhani, BHA treasurer: Every association has problems. But unless funds are treated well, it is going to be difficult. At BHA, we incur more operating costs than WIFA -- electricity and water alone cost a milion.

But thanks to our sound financial status, we pull through.

Sunder Shetty, secertary MBA: We are raising a further Rs two lakh through donations to strengthen our corpus. We have to ensure the association stays healthy.