'It was once in a lifetime experience'

Published : Oct 27, 2001 00:00 IST

S. R. SURYANARAYAN

HISTORY will remember him as the one who headed the Organising Committee of the best ever Olympic Games - the one held in Sydney. A year has gone by since that mega event, the first of the new millennium, was conducted. But Sandy Hollway, the Chief Executive Officer of those Games, is still a busy man in a different way. The world loves to listen to a successful man. Hollway, a 53-year-old former Australian foreign service official, has plenty to narrate in the afterglow of what has been a coveted achievement for one, who was, in the first place, never in sports administration but inducted into it for his experience in civil administration.

Hollway's has been a varied career that took him to Pakistan, Germany, Canada and Washington in the initial phase and now in the second phase he has already visited Greece, Belgium, Russia, Canada, U.S., Thailand, U.K. and India. Many more may follow for, if anything, the Australian has lessons not only for sports administrators but the industry itself. The link between sports and industry has never been as pronounced as it was in Sydney and there have been spinoffs aplenty. The country gained over six billion (Australian dollars) in its GDP, over 300 companies got a boost, tourism industry received an impetus and, most of all, the Games unravelled a community spirit that stemmed from the congregation of a variety of cultures, one of the features of the event.

So, why was Sydney more than a sporting spectacle, aside from the superbly crafted opening and closing ceremonies? According to Hollway it was an event that also underscored individual and collective values. "Determination, courage, joy and pride, all form part of individual values. Then there is the greater value of bringing the world together," he said while giving a new meaning to internationalism. "There is no better example of internationalism than the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Hollway, currently Chairman of the New South Wales advisory committee for the International Year of Volunteers. They can be the balm in a troubled world, he added.

Following are excerpts from an interview:

Question: How did you get selected for this prized job of heading the Sydney Olympic Organising Committee (SOCOG)?

Answer: I was incharge of a huge department in the New South Wales Government. Of course it had nothing to do with sports. Perhaps my administrative experience was what mattered when I was called upon to work in the Organising Committee. Becoming the CEO was a chance development when the person originally considered did not take it.

How was the experience in the face of adverse publicity in the initial period, in particular the ticketing problems, the aboriginal issue, the threat of sponsors withdrawing, besides other issues?

Plenty of problems but it was an enriching experience. On the whole we could set a model, a treatise on event management which could be of help to future organisers. We started from scratch, so to say, because our enquiries on the past editions failed to provide any set pattern of going about organising this massive venture. We took in the good points, improved on them and each step from there formed a new lesson in event management. The corporate, the volunteers and the community blend into the machinery, a certain strength that contributed to the overall success.

Considering you were once driven to the extreme of resigning after differences with Michael Knight, the Olympics Minister, was all the responsibility worth it?

I have no regrets. Because, you cannot get around the fact that it was once in a lifetime experience. Despite the problems, I would have regretted not taking up the responsibility and gone away.

Do you think you were amply rewarded, considering the Gold Olympic Order from the IOC did not come to you even though the IOC President, Juan Samaranch, had certified the Games as the 'best ever'?

That did not matter, really. No, I am not just saying it. Nothing compared to the fact that the Australian public thought the Games were a success. That was the judgement for me. The IOC can give out orders but nothing ultimately can substitute the public reaction. And the public reaction was 'thank you, this has been terrific', to which I reacted, 'thank you, you made it terrific.'

How did you view the security aspect, one area which did not find mention in your presentation?

Certainly we took security precautions very very seriously. We did not face the present situation then of course. Had the Games come in the background of what happened in New York and Washington, we would have been very worried and tightened up very hard on security.

Your best moment of the Sydney Games?

Cathy Freeman's win. I was so glad when she won. She had won the world championship in Athens in 1997, repeated the feat in Seville in 1999. At the Atlanta Games in 96, she had come second. How sad it would have been if she had not won in front of the home crowd. But she won. I enjoyed it very much. It also happened to be the one event where I was fortunate to be right there in the stadium. But I wish I had been in the city, with the crowd, watching it on the big screens. That would have been terrific. Still that was not the greatest race or the greatest event of Sydney. It happened on the same night: Haile Gebrselassie winning the 10,000 metres by a nose.

What has been your programme in India?

I had discussions with various Indian officials, with the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in New Delhi, the IOA and the CII, which actually brought me to Chennai. Several proposals are to be looked into, one is to get Australian expertise in sports medicine and to fight doping. I think India has plans to develop a first rate dope-testing lab. Then again, India has a strong manufacturing capability in sports equipment and some partnership between Indian and Australian marketing units is being discussed. Already Australia has an MOU with the Government of India under which we are providing assistance to train the coaches in events such as swimming, canoeing, kayaking and hockey. Of course, the strong cricketing connection between the two nations is already there.

Your experience in the foreign service?

I entered the Australian Foreign Service in 1969. I was in Islamabad in 1971 and saw the birth of Bangladesh following an India-Pakistan war. My marriage took place during my stay in Islamabad and guess where we went for the honeymoon? To Afghanistan! From there to Germany, Canada and U.S. before going on to work as Chief of Staff of the then Australian P.M., Bob Hawke.

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