Decision to cancel Ballroom Dancers Federation registration not taken by present Sports Minister

The Secretary to the Minister of Youth and Sports Anuradha Wijekoon said that the decision to cancel the registration of the Ballroom Dancers Federation of Sri Lanka with immediate effect was not taken by the present Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa, but by the former Sports Minister.

The Extraordinary Gazette notification published on 4 September under Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 Regulations made under Section 32 states:

“I, Namal Rajapaksa, the Minister of Youth and Sports as per the powers vested in me under the Section 32 (c) of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 cancel the registration of the Ballroom Dancers Federation of Sri Lanka which is the National Federation for the Sport of Ballroom Dancers with immediate effect.”

“We didn’t make any such cancellations and we don’t know the reason for it. That decision may have been taken by the previous Minister of Sport,” said Wijekoon.

“When such decisions are gazetted after a period of time, it is the present Minister of Sport whose name appears in the Gazette,” he said.

Dullas Alahapperuma was the Minister of Sport before the present Government took office, and his predecessor was Harin Fernando. (ST)