【明報專訊】THE SPORTS FEDERATION AND OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF HONG KONG, CHINA (SF&OC) has announced the governance review findings of its National Sports Associations (NSAs) and the code of governance, requiring all affiliated associations to implement them within two years.
In recent years, there have been endless controversies concerning the NSAs. Particularly worthy of concern is the fairness of some NSAs, as some athletes have not qualified for competitions despite their outstanding results. While the SF&OC claims that "the member associations have basically reached a reasonable level of good corporate governance", other people might see it differently.
Take the selection and appeal mechanisms as examples. Although the SF&OC updated its guidelines in 2021 to require the NSAs to formulate and make public the selection and appeal procedures, the "selection criteria" disclosed by some associations are in fact quite vague and fail to specify the objective standards such as athlete rankings and results in trials or competitions.
The effectiveness of the appeal mechanism has also been questioned. Some athletes have criticised the NSAs for lacking proactiveness and the appeal mechanism process for not being transparent. Some athletes who have gone through the appeal process have even claimed that the NSAs did not bother to provide reasons for their decisions. Some members of the Legislative Council have pointed out that many appeal committee members of the NSAs overlap with the management and no independent third party is participating in the arbitration, making the outcomes of appeals unconvincing.
Earlier this year, Alex Fong, a former swimmer of the Hong Kong team, blasted the Hong Kong China Swimming Association for having an unfair system, leading to public concern about "zombie associations". Many NSAs do not set term limits for directors, and problems such as cronyism in the small circles and barriers of entrenched interests are also concerning.
The latest review report and code of governance published by the SF&OC are undoubtedly a step forward for improving the governance of the NSAs. The key is whether the actual implementation is adequate. The authorities should establish appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) and a strict supervision mechanism to ensure that the NSAs will actively implement them. Otherwise, no matter whether it is a guideline or a code, it is just a document and will not achieve the changes expected by athletes and society.
Currently, about 60 NSAs under the SF&OC receive funding from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The government and the SF&OC have an absolute duty to ensure that every NSA uses public funds appropriately. The SF&OC said yesterday (20 November) that it would consider amending its charter to intervene in the governance of its member associations when necessary. If the governance of a member association fails to meet standards continuously, the SF&OC may intervene depending on the actual situation and the severity of the problem, with actions including warning or assigning observers. If a member association refuses to mend its ways despite repeated exhortations, the SF&OC may send people directly to the board of directors or even take over the management.
To improve the governance of the NSAs, the SF&OC must wield the power to intervene. However, the authorities must have the courage to make timely intervention. Otherwise, it will be difficult to achieve a deterrent effect, and the NSAs that do not want to make progress will continue to sit on their laurels.
明報社評 2024.11.21：改善體育總會管治 貫徹執行莫走過場
港協暨奧委會公布體育總會管治檢討結果及《機構管治守則》，要求屬下各總會兩年內落實。
近年有關體育總會的風波，可謂層出不窮，成績出眾的選手不獲參賽資格，尤其令人質疑部分體育總會處事不公。港協形容「屬會基本達到合理的良好機構管治水平」，其他人究竟怎麼看，可能又是另一回事。
以選拔參賽及上訴機制為例，雖然港協2021年更新指引，要求屬會制定並公開遴選和上訴程序，然而部分總會所公開的「遴選準則」其實相當含糊，並未列明考慮運動員排名、選拔賽或比賽成績等客觀標準。
至於上訴機制的成效，同樣受到質疑，有運動員認為體育總會態度不積極，上訴機制過程不透明，有曾經上訴的運動員更稱，連裁決理據也欠奉。有立法會議員更指出，現時不少體育總會上訴委員會成員與管理層重疊，沒有獨立第三方參與仲裁，上訴結果的說服力，自然也大打折扣。
今年較早時候，港隊前泳將方力申炮轟泳總制度不公，其後更引來外界對「殭屍屬會」的關注；另外，不少體育總會沒有就董事任期設限，小圈子「圍威喂」及利益固化藩籬等問題，同樣惹人關注。
港協最新公布的體育總會管治檢討結果及《機構管治守則》，無疑為改善屬會管治，向前踏出一步，然而關鍵還是實際執行是否到位，當局應制訂合適的關鍵績效指標（KPI），以及嚴格的監督機制，確保屬會積極貫徹執行，否則指引也好，守則也罷，不過是文件一份，無法帶來運動員和社會所期望的轉變。
目前港協約有60個體育總會獲康文署資助，政府和港協絕對有責任確保各總會恰當使用公帑。港協昨天表示將考慮修改章程，以便必要時介入屬會管治，若個別屬會管治持續不達標，港協會視乎實際情况及問題嚴重程度作出介入，包括警告或指派觀察員，若有屬會「屢勸不改」，港協有可能直接派人進入屬會董事會甚至接管。
改善屬會管治，港協有必要手握尚方寶劍，然而當局必須敢於運用、適時運用，否則難以起到震懾，不思進取的屬會，到頭來也只會依然故我。
/ Glossary生字 /
entrench：to establish sth very strongly so that it is very difficult to change
exhortation：an act of trying very hard to persuade sb to do sth
sit on your laurels：(usually disapproving) to feel so satisfied with what you have already achieved that you do not try to do any more
Audio files provided by John W