The sport reform is ready!

Zdroj: Šport, Tomáš Grosmann

(The question is who and when will realize it, because especially the division of money has always been a problem)

Everything is on the web. One of the commonly used slogans fully applies to the preparation of “sport reform” in Slovakia as well. Quotes aren’t accidental. Even though it is possible to find many files on the web site www.reformasportu.sk already for a week, it is not that kind of reform, where we could expect significant steps of the executive power in nearest weeks.
“Our initial aim had to be changed,” admits Jozef Tokoš, the leader of the team, who created a project called “Victory” about development and popularization of sport. “If we had finished our work until the end of year 2005 without early elections, there would have been 9 months to implement at least some of findings through the Ministry of Education. That’s our ambition; a topic of sport should resound in our society.”

WHY THE PROJECT CAME INTO BEING
Simply said, Mikuláš Dzurinda, the Prime Minister, “Sportsman body and soul“, promised to do it. That is mentioned in news report after publishing the project Victory. He asked his adviser to find a team of people, who can identify starting points. The reason was also that the sport movement didn’t find common speech for long years, and they also didn’t make an agreement on solutions. If yes, no particular steps followed. Objectives of the project Victory are to attract the highest possible number of young people to sport, to reach the highest possible number of significant international successes, promotion of sport as a desirable way of entertainment.

KEY MEASURES
They are summarized by authors in 10 points, stating the current situation and proposing the change after reform. 1. Increasing support for children and young people in sport. 2. Measuring effectiveness, it means benefit of project for grant 3. Supporting objects, not subjects, and influence of sport federations should be important, instead their membership base. 4. Supporting 10 – 15 preferred sports 5. „Everything on www“–increasing the transparence. 6. Spreading promotion – sport is playing back it. 7. Spreading promotion – sport youth coaches. 8. Reviewing the financing of broadcasting of sport in Slovak Television. 9. Investment of national importance to be financed via competition.10. Consolidating centers of top sport.

HOW TO DEAL THE MONEY
Every attempt to propose serious system changes in Slovak sport caused a stalemate situation when the system of the distribution of state money was discussed. Existence of associations and organizations was often endangered, life safeties of some (in sport influential) people. The people in management of the State Fund of Physical Culture (in the meanwhile abolished) were criticised, often just. Not even the current system of the distribution of the state money applied by the Ministry of Education, is not accepted by everyone. How can we avoid it? “With the greatest transparency,” thinks Eugen Jurzyca. “The obligation to put everything on www can avoid the situation, that connections and lobbying will have the meaning when distributing the state money. Of course, it will be difficult to find an agreement, as the project Victory wants it, on 10 or 15 sports, which should be financed as priorities. The following question will be asked: why just those preferred sports and not other? Moreover, more popular and massive sports have better possibilities to be financed from marketing sources. Does it mean that minor sports will vanish? The culture society doesn’t forget minorities in other areas…

PROJECT vs. LAW
The Slovak sport necessarily needs a new law on sport, to go other, better direction. It has been heard within sports movement and at the Ministry of Education for longer time. The draft law has still not been passed. In what relationship are the project Victory and draft law on sport? “It is possible to find match in some points, but in most points they differ and act as two independent documents,” presents press report. Authors of the project Victory clearly oppose some ideas of the draft law. “We can imagine our reform without new law on sport,” observed Jozef Tokoš, what is surprising for many people. Mainly for people who can see the law as the only solution.

ATTEMPT OF OUR CONCLUSION
Everyone who prefers active movement agrees that reform of sport in Slovakia is needful. We are glad that the project Victory didn’t forget the most important point that is many people practicing sport, especially the children. It is clear, that physical training in school has to be taken more seriously. Basis for organised sports must be built mainly at schools, not to mention the health of population and preventive influence of moving activity against drugs. If Victory paves ways for effective construction and use of playgrounds that can also fulfill the needs of national team representatives (because some sports don’t have conditions at all) its importance will be great. In the opposite case, we can just admire its ideas. It wouldn’t be enough after so much effort.

AUTHORS OF THE PROJECT
JUDr. JOZEF TOKOŠ, adviser to the Prime Minister, licensed players´ agent in accordance with FIFA rules
Ing. EUGEN JURZYCA, the head of the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO)
PhDr. PETER GOLIAŠ, analyst in the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO)
Ing. IGOR MOŠKA, Secretary General of the Slovak Tennis Association

DISCUSSION
Authors invite a discussion about sport on their www side. They suggest these topics and questions:
What should be changed in sport?
What project Victory doesn’t solve and should it?
What is your opinion about the project Victory?
What is your opinion about the draft law on Sport?