New Sports Minister starts his innings

Promises to resolve all issues, hold elections for sporting bodies

Newly-appointed Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara assumed duties yesterday at the Ministry of Sports with the blessings of the Maha Sangha and other religious dignitaries.

Speaking to the gathering after assuming duties, the Minister pledged to resolve the issues at all national sports governing associations including the Sri Lanka Cricket Board.

He said the first issue was the current problem with the Sri Lanka Olympic Committee which in 2013 summoned the then sports minister to Switzerland to discuss Sports Law 25 of 1973 following a written complaint made by the Head of the National Olympic Committee.

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara yesterday assumed duties at the Sports Ministry. Sri Lanka Cricket Chairman Sidath Wettimuny and other officials were present when the new Minister took up his post - Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana 

The IOC warned about the influence of the Sports Ministry and the lack of autonomy to the sports bodies and asked to do away with the controversial provisions in the Sports Law to ensure autonomy and jurisdiction of national sports associations or risk losing international status.

In May this year the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) withdrew Sri Lanka from hosting the 2017 Asian Youth Games due to political influence on the National Olympic Committee. 

Minister Jayasekara promised to look into the laws governing national sports and to implement the National Sports Policy of Sri Lanka within the next two years in a bid to strengthen and develop the sports industry.

The new Sports Minister also promised to hold due elections for all sports associations, including the cricket governing body, Sri Lanka Cricket, which at present is administered by an interim committee. In April this year former Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake appointed the nine-member interim committee headed by former Test opener Sidath Wettimuny to run the cricket board as there were corruption allegations against the cricket administration that needed to be investigated before the staging of elections.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) however warned that any unjustified interference might expose Sri Lanka Cricket to the possibility of having its membership suspended by the ICC Board.

Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Chairman Sidath Wettimuny met the new Sports Minister today. SLC Vice Chairman Kushil Gunasekara and Head of Cricket Operations Carlton Bernadus too were present at the occasion.