Sports

Sports

When groping in the dark
This rather ironic and sometimes hilarious chain of events can only be described in one language -- in Sinhala. It has a saying "Nodanna Demaleta gihin warige nahagatta". It means by trying to speak the alien language of Tamil he got himself and his kith and kin killed".

Dear minister of sport, this is the only way we can describe the present sport spectacle in this tiny nation. At the same time so far it is only you who are responsible for this situation because you have let it get simply out of control.

At the receiving end are the two sports -- cricket and athletics -- that have given this tiny island nation somewhat of a global spotlight by winning accolades which even some wealthier and bigger nations are still craving for.

Not many moons ago when the minister first took office this column gave him the warning that there are many anomalies in sport with some rotten eggs in the basket. At that very time the media pointed out that if he did not quickly bring in the necessary amendments to the sports law the boat is bound to founder sooner than he thought. Is it not exactly this sir, that has happened?

We are not saying that he should not have suspended the SLC with the power vested in him. If he had information on certain anomalies on any given sport he should take appropriate action. But when he takes such action he should also be very sure it is going to work with clock work precision. Because this is not the first time he burnt his fingers by appointing an interim committee.

First it was the interim committee appointed against the Amateur Atheletic Association led by P.H.D. Vaidyatilleke, against the committee led by the last president Sunil Jayaweera. This IC was shortlived as history proves. Thus this one step backwards gave the other eager committees the impetus to find loopholes in the sports law when the fly dived in to their soup.

At the same time there is a selection committee appointed by him for cricket which functions under former Sri Lanka fast bowler Asantha de Mel. This committee was given another year's extension even after he had cancelled the registration of the SLC. But, when the selection committee for cricket is still alive and kicking, the secretary to the ministry of sport sends Sri Lanka cricket captain Marvan Atapattu a letter calling him the former captain. Is this ethical? If one wanted to communicate to the incumbent national cricket captain on an related issue, should not SC have sent the letter to him and not the ministry secretary who probably is not selection committee material!

Now what has happened? Wittingly or unwittingly he has pulled the players also into the present quagmire. Ironically now the Lankan skipper ( if the former or not only the ministry secretary knows.) Marvan Atapattu has come out and given a public statement now dragging the players also into this holy mess.

Then the next question is, wittingly or unwittingly, should the players get dragged into a situation of this nature? To my mind even if they are dragged into a situation of this nature they must maintain decorum by which they must keep silent and watch the situation grow or solve itself.

Even prior to this on the day of the AA elections a whole host of national athletes had congregated near the AA headquarters and jeered at one of the contestants when the results were announced.

In short the situation has got out of control resulting in two of Sri Lanka's top sports bodies slowly coming to a grinding halt. The only person who can save the situation is the minister and he alone. However if he has to achieve it he may have to get the support of the rest of parliament and get some new laws passed or else come to a compromise and let things go on as it was.

At the same time the Sunday Musings sought the views of two well-known cricketers, former secretary of the BCCSL S. Skandakumar who incidentally was a member of an interim committee and the well known cricket commentator and former Sri Lanka wicket keeper Ranjith Fernando.

The concerned former secretary said "I don't envy the players for what they are facing on account of the predicament the nation's cricket is currently placed in. However in any situation the players' exclusive focus should be on playing the game to the best of their ability for the country".

The former wicket keeper was partly of the same view. He said; "I don't blame the players as at the moment they do not know who their boss is, whether it is the Sri Lanka Cricket or the Interim Committee. For that matter no one knows and it is the game as a whole that suffers. The only solution to the problem is that there has to be dialogue between the two parties may be with an arbitrator as there is so much to be done".

"There is an under 19 tour to England. Then the Sri Lanka A team has to be active. Inter club cricket has to get underway. So the sooner they get together and work out a solution the better it will be for Sri Lanka's cricket".

All in all the present situation looks gloomy with two of our best loved sports being hit by a vested interest tsunami. The sooner the authorities take action to throw the life line the better it is. If not the patient will not die a natural death.

On Wednesday the minister and the interim committee met the bemused looking Sri Lankan cricketers, but nothing concrete came out of that meeting regarding a solution to the problem. So now.......over to you Mr. Minister.

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