Sunday Oct 06, 2024
Sunday Oct 06, 2024
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| Prime Minister and Sports Minister Harini Amarasuriya |
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| Former SLR President Rizly Illyas |
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya’s recent media briefing on the state of sports under her administration has sparked hope for much-needed reforms, as Sri Lankan sports have sunk to an all-time low.
While cricket is showing signs of improvement in the recent series played against India (T20I), England (Tests), and now the ongoing Test series against New Zealand, the nation’s broader sports landscape remains in a dire state.
With 35 Olympic sports under the Sports Ministry, Sri Lanka managed to qualify only four athletes for the 2024 Paris Olympics, an alarming reflection of the inefficiency of sports associations and the country as a whole.
Rugby, the second most popular sport after cricket, hit rock bottom when the national team was barred from playing under the national flag, saved only by the National Olympic Committee allowing them to compete under its charter.
The intervention by the Sports Ministry has so far failed to resolve these issues, and former Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) President Rizly Illyas is calling for stricter adherence to good governance, particularly in team selection, sponsorships, and financial transparency.
Illyas, who resigned from SLR to ensure suspensions were lifted and the sport could progress, expressed satisfaction with the strides made in both school and national rugby. However, he emphasised that true governance has yet to be achieved, especially in the handling of key financial decisions.
As Prime Minister Amarasuriya now faces a crucial moment in her leadership as she oversees the Sports Ministry, Illyas has urged her to address the ongoing corruption and mismanagement within SLR and enforce transparency.
While Amarasuriya has pledged that there would be no political interference in sports bodies, this promise echoes the statement made by former Minister Namal Rajapaksa, whose politically-motivated suspension of SLR has left the sport in disarray to this day, Illyas recalled.
He highlighted this as an example of the political madness and destructive culture that must now be confronted.
Illyas stressed that with Anura Kumara Dissanayake serving as the President, there is renewed hope for accountability not only for Sri Lanka’s broader governance but also for the corruption within its sports institutions.
The future of Sri Lankan rugby, Illyas believes, hinges on whether the new leadership can dismantle the entrenched “rugby mafia” and restore integrity to the sport.
This ongoing saga underscores the critical need for reform within Sri Lanka’s sports institutions. Rugby, once a proud sport in the country, now struggles under the weight of corruption, mismanagement, and political interference.
With significant financial and legal issues still unresolved, the road to recovery will require strong leadership, transparency, and accountability to ensure that the nation’s athletes are no longer victims of the sins committed by their leaders.
Illyas blamed successive Ministers and Rugby administrations from mid-2000 to 2020 for the decline of the game, and associated financial mismanagement and other controversies including violation of the country’s Immigration and Emigration Act – the illegal allocation of Sri Lankan passports to Fijian players in 2014 to strengthen the national team. The latter ultimately led to a fine of £ 50,000 imposed by World Rugby. Tragically, as SLR could not afford to pay the fine, it was deducted from World Rugby’s development fund allocated to SLR, a resource meant to nurture the sport and support the players.
Illyas has repeatedly voiced concerns about these issues, including the missing files. He is urging Prime Minister and Sports Minister Amarasuriya to conduct an immediate forensic audit to retrieve all files and documents.
