KENNY MacAskill (“We all need to pitch in to benefit the nation”, The Herald, October 19) argues for investment in sport. The Scottish Government, in which he was a major player, recently published figures showing no improvement in participation since 2008 and proved that there has been no Commonwealth Games legacy contrary to endless claims made by 2014 staff and the national agency for sport, Sportscotland.
Putting aside Mr MacAskill's oft-used call that increased facilities investment will sort it out – because there is no proof of the adage “build it and they will come” – what of the immense investment in that time in and by the national agency for sport? Surely it is time that those who have been responsible for these matters since before 2008 and their abject failure were brought to account?
The uncomfortable truth is that the national strategy is a failure as are those who champion it. Sportscotland has forced sports, which have become increasingly dependent on government funding, to become weak clones of themselves, with a compliant risk-averse civil service mentality lacking any drive for innovation.? Any business that does not innovate dies. And so it is coming to pass.
The world has moved on from sport structures dating from the Raj. Every weekend 100,000 people in the UK take part in park running events. Free. Nearly two million are thought to play five-a-side football. These are untouched by a governing body, and free from any interference from national agencies.
If we really want change it is time to “denationalise” sport, to wind up Sportscotland in its current wasteful dictatorial form, and to create a new fit-for-purpose, independent and accountable national agency worthy of the name.
John? Dunlop,
9 Birnam Crescent, Glasgow.
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