Athletes said that there is no justification for the sensitivity of these bodies towards the media .. and they confirm:
Official spokesmen in unions and clubs "do not speak"
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Athletes and media professionals have criticized what they said is "the exaggerated sensitivity of a number of sports federations and local clubs towards the media," noting that there is no justification for not dealing with transparency and for setting obstacles with media institutions.
In an interview with Emirates Today, they said, "There are official spokesmen for these federations and clubs, but they do not speak," despite the fact that the nature of their work requires them to constantly interact and communicate with various media outlets. And they said that this way of dealing hides behind the desire of some parties to hide their defects, weaknesses and problems from the sports street.
They said that the media is the pulse of the street and is the watchdog for the work of these institutions entrusted with the development of sports in the UAE, pointing out that the sports authorities that are confident of their work do not put any obstacles in their dealings with the media. They said that the role of media institutions in pointing out the positives and criticizing the negatives in the work of these bodies, considering that the media institutions directing criticism of what is in order to push these parties to solve the problem, and that it is in the interest of the development of sport for the better.
And the former assistant secretary of the Football Association, Imran Abdullah, said, "It is assumed that there will be no sensitivity on the part of any sports body, whether a sports association or a club, in dealing with meaningful sports media, but there will be complete transparency and clarity."
He stressed that "any sports official who does not deal with the media in a transparent manner is not fit to be in his position, which imposes on anyone to be transparent in dealing with the sports media of various orientations."
He added, "If the official in a federation or a club has information, why does he not deliver it to the media, and thus reach the reader and the sports street?"
The former chairman of the Kalba Federation, Issa Al-Dhabhi, stressed that fear of the position or the chair makes some people who hold positions in federations or clubs afraid to deal with the media, for fear of any negativity appearing on them.
He added: These parties should not take the issue of dealing with the media with a kind of sensitivity, because the media is the basis of development in sports, so all doors must be open in dealing with it, and in the event that the media abandon its role and its job, the sport will not develop.
Former international and legal advisor Salem Hadid stressed that the era of transition from hobby to professionalism requires everyone, whether they are officials in federations or clubs, to open the doors to the media and deal with them transparently.
He continued: They have to deal transparently as long as these parties have nothing to hide, unless there are matters that do not want to reach the sports street, and this is certainly not in the interest of clubs or federations.
He said that there are sports bodies that waste money in losing deals for players without having a technical return, since the biggest beneficiaries of them are brokers, so they fear that these facts will reach the sports street.
Salem Hadid added: Unfortunately, there are spokesmen for some federations and clubs who only speak what they want. He said: If these federations or clubs disclose everything they have, everyone will respect them.
For his part, Dubai Sports Channel broadcaster Ahmed Jouka confirmed that "the federations or clubs that fail in their work are afraid of the media revealing the facts of things." He continued: There are unions that spend millions, but they do not have achievements, despite the great support they are receiving.
He added: With the exception of people of determination, what are the achievements made by the football, volleyball and basketball federations over the past ten years? Jouka pointed out that there are clubs that feel when a journalist or media person comes to them in order to obtain information, stressing that the federations and clubs that are afraid of dealing with the media are the ones that have a defect and do not want to reveal it by the media.
- They emphasized that the fear of some parties of revealing the negative aspects of their work, prompting them not to deal with the media with the required transparency.