Game for trouble: Why sportsmen don't behave

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Monday banned for 11 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and fined 100 per cent of his last match fee for slapping his fellow Team India player S Sreesanth. [Read Story]

Harbhajan, stand-in captain for the IPL team Mumbai Indians, was found guilty of slapping Kings XI Punjab pacer Sreesanth after a match between their teams in Mohali on Friday.

"I got punishment for whatever I did but the Board (BCCI) has always treated me like its child and I hope they will continue to support me. When I come back to play again, I will bring smiles to your faces," said Harbhajan after the match referee's decision.

IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi told CNN-IBN Harbhajan’s action in Mohali was unprovoked and asked to players to “control their aggression”.

“An ugly incident like this shouldn’t have happened but on the field players become aggressive and it happens in all games. Players though should control their aggression and be gentleman like,” said Modi.

Does Harbhajan’s action reflect on cricket? Are sportspersons becoming too aggressive because they are under tremendous pressure? Is modern sport encouraging bad behaviour? CNN-IBN’s Senior Editor Sagarika Ghose asked this on Face The Nation.

Joining the debate were: former India captain Kris Srikanth, Malvika Banerjee, director of sports management agency Gameplan, Sharda Ugra, deputy editor with India Today, and Sunita Godara, former Asian marathon champion in swimming.

Sportspersons are getting carried away because of the attention they get, said Srikanth. "The camera in the sports field focuses on guys who are characters. It doesn't focus on the Tendulkars or Dravids. The camera will always focus on guys who do crazy things on the field. I think that is where guys like Sreesanth get carried away," he said.

Indians once had a relaxed attitude to sports but no longer, said Ugra. "The expectations from Indian cricketers are unreal. Young men have to handle pressure and for them it is winning or nothing—failure is not an option. Indians had a pretty relaxed attitude toward sports but no longer. Now, it is like you let your country down if you lost."

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But pressure can’t be the excuse for bad behaviour, said Godara. How a person behaves shows his upbringing and “brattish behaviour” in sports shows lack of values. Money, fame and "brats" are ruining sports, she said.

Banerjee didn’t agree with that argument, saying there are more gentlemen in sports than brats. "For every bad boy you will have a M S Dhoni or Virendra Sehwag, who never get into trouble with the match referee," said Banerjee. There will always be bad boys and good boys but you can't whitewash sports for that.

Sportspersons have to behave well no matter what the pressure otherwise they will be end up being called “badly brought up”, said Banerjee.

Not just sportspersons, the media and popular culture should be blamed for this recent celebration of aggression—of 'India gives it back' attitude, said Ugra.

"When the Indian team wins something the celebration becomes triumphal and aggressive behaviour is celebrated. People like Dravid are seen as boring for they shake hands and don't provide drama," said Ugra.

The greatest sportspersons are who can handle pressure. "The Sachin Tendulkars and Rahul Dravids of sports know how to handle pressure, success. They have great skills and know how to conduct themselves on the field and off the field," said Srikanth.

SMS poll on ‘Is modern sport encouraging bad behaviour?

Yes: 77 per cent

No: 23 per cent.