/nginx/o/2012/07/30/1243066t1h3e95.jpg)
Rule of thumb: scholarships for students, wages for working men. Accordingly, Estonia’s sportsmen and coaches, as well as referees, sports physicians and other personnel, fall somewhere in-between the two: working, yet living on scholarships. Basically, we have to do with a national tax optimization scheme. To the shock of sports circles, taxman now thinks this ain’t right.
Tax exceptions always come as political decisions. That also being the reason why, up to now, sports federations have never raised the scholarships issue: traditionally, sports federations are lead by politicians, the latter well aware of state stinginess in the field. Also: sums currently paid to coaches and sportsmen are so small that with income, social and unemployment insurance taxes added, hardly anything would be left over.
Views on state financing of sports differ. Thus, it has been questioned whether the state should finance sports at all – leaving it to private donors. No doubt, to those headed for title tournaments with high hopes of shining medals, donors will promptly be found to stick their logos on their gear. But what about the basic school girls’ gymnastics club? The high school basketball boys? Not a penny, probably. So: where will the medallist come from? He/she will not come at all. Or: can a biathlonist hone her skills while working a full-time job? After an eight-hours-day, not much energy left to train, probably, for the next eight hours. A larger part of our trainers and coaches getting their main livelihood and the corresponding social guarantees by some other job, the problem is glaring.
Payments of this sort remind one of the opaque 90ies, when it was said with childlike sincerity that «we are all on envelope wages, here». That would encapsulate the problems of sports financing, also leading to issues with the way coaches, sportsmen and personnel are paid: the sums so small as to rather not be taxed, everybody is basically getting scholarships – deprived of social guarantees. This calls for political clarity. As a way out, Estonian Olympic Committee has proposed limits to scholarships, say €640 a month. This, however, may hurt the topmost clubs. Culture ministry says individual and team sports should be treated the same; even this, however, would pose risks needing deeper analysis.
Most importantly, however: how, and according to which criteria, is Estonian sports being financed anyway? In spite of years spent criticising the insufficient financing, and politicians managing the federations, there is no answer. And yet: should we desire to keep flying our flag over international pedestals, decisions – not just finances – are urgently needed.