Rodrigo aims to put soccer back on track
View(s):By Naushad Amit
With the aim to put back football to its deserving position, the newly elected president of Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), Ranjith Rodrigo, revealed their mission statement, which includes serious and radical changes. Among the amendments Rodrio introduced were staff-cuts, more responsibility to vice presidents, abolishing of a vital administrative portfolio, vital negotiations, public pardons and income generating ventures, which he presumes can be a success, if everyone leaves personal agendas aside and work as a team to achieve a common goal.
Ranjith Rodrigo
“During the past, the FFSL has always been in the receiving end irrespective of the nature of the cause. It’s mainly due to not working as a unit, which is what football is all about. There is no doubt that Sri Lanka must become a respectable football playing nation in Asia and it has to be initiated from the house itself,” Rodrigo who has plenty of experience in football as a player and an administrator, since 1982 emphasised.
To begin with Rodrigo stated that the FFSL under him for the next tenure of two years will be run with a less staff strength. According to Rodrigo’s revelations the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer will be scrapped from the cadre in addition to axing some 19 members of the FFSL staff being subject to lose employment. For the next two years new recruitments will be a subject that will remain unattended.
“There were debates around the circle that the FFSL was one of bureaus had a big number of unessential staff. We treated this as an immediate subject to be addressed. With the development we have planned to encourage the services of volunteers to the administration, minimising the salary outlay to paid staff. The highest salary will be of Rs. 55, 000,” he said.
However in a contrasting move the newly elected chief of football revealed that the existing coaching staff of the national team will be replaced by a highly professional set of coaches from Brazil. Accordingly the present coaching staff of Sri Lanka Sampath Perera, Dudley Stainwall and Lalith Weerasinghe will have to vacate their positions. They will be replaced by professionals from BrazilClaudio Roberto Silveria and Guilherme De Abreu Rangel, who will receive a remuneration of US$ 5,500 and 2,000 on a monthly basis. The duo will take over the national sides of Sri Lanka from May and will serve under a contract which will last for three years. This move Rodrigo said was solely to revive the dying standards of football.
“Our immediate goal is to prepare for the South Asian Football Federation championship which will be held later in September in Kathmandu. According to the contract with foreign coaches both of them will receive a salary hike of US$ 500 after the first year. The Minister of Sports has come forward to assist us by paying their salaries up to a period of one year, and if things improve the Minister might continue to pay. In the meantime the outgoing coaches Sampath (Perera) and Dudley (Stainwall) can be reinstalled at the Kelaniya Football Centre with their former salaries, if they wish. It’s all about developing the standards of the game so the chain of development incidents can be revived at a gradual pace. There is no personal hatred involved here,” Rodrigo added.
Among the new developments more responsibilities have been drafted on to the courts of the five vice presidents who have been assigned into five divided zones in Sri Lanka, the FIFA and AFC. The Zone 1 will be 11 leagues from Colombo to Mannar including the Air Force under R. Puvandiran who is also responsible for planning, organising, executing and continuous monitoring of all the activities of this group. The Zone 2 which will cover 10 leagues from Ampara to Point Pedro including Nay Sports Club and Civil Security Services which will come under Rear Admiral Ananda Peiris. The Zone 3 which consists 10 leagues from Colombo to Hambantota will be the responsibility of Manil Fernando. The Sri Lanka Referees’ Society in addition to the nine leagues from Gampaha to Nawalapitiya will come under Sunil Senaweera. The fifth Zone which stretches from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya via Badulla will cover nine leagues and will be the responsibility of L. Nehrugee.
“By introducing these administrative zones we will be able to clearly monitor the league and clubs. It will also help the FFSL in respective football federations on time. We can also help the players and the referees to develop their respective careers while our collective aim, to development and making football the most popular sports among youngsters will come alive. But the most important component of our wheel, the schools sections still seems to like working alone. We really don’t know the reason behind it but it’s essential that the schools section should work hand in hand with the FFSL, if our goal is to be a reality. We are hoping to initiate a discussion with them and at the same time we are ready to listen to their demands at this juncture”.
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