Hijack attempt – NOC meeting cancelled
View(s):A meeting of the National Olympic Committee’s office bearers was cancelled by the committee’s President after he discovered that elements who wanted to hijack its proceedings were planning to attend, a letter written by him revealed.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss NOC activities, in particular the progress of the Working Committee appointed to implement changes to the Sports Law agreed upon between the NOC, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and the IOC at a gathering in Lausanne, Switzerland on November 27, 2013.
Maxwell de SIlva
NOC Secretary General Maxwell de Silva explained that he called off the NOC meeting- which was scheduled to be held at Olympic House, the NOCs headquarters, on February 13 at 5.30 p.m.- after he learnt from members of national federations, who had been summoned for a meeting with the Sports Minister, that “certain elements who have agendas beyond the terms mutually agreed with the IOC are to storm the NOC premises and to force a discussion on issues that may go beyond the unanimous agreement reached in Lausanne with the IOC.”De Silva warned that such action was unprecedented in the NOCs history and would hurt the country’s national and international interests at a time when it was preparing for the Asian Youth Games Championship, which will be staged in Hambantota in 2017.
He further stated that abrupt meetings with the Minister of Sports, such as the one where the national federation members discovered the alleged intention to interrupt the NOC meeting, could be viewed as exerting “undue influence.”
“Many member federations also feel that the methods being adopted by the Hon. Minister to summon them for ad hoc meetings at the Ministry at a very short notice, amounts to use of coercion and undue influence, in order to avoid any changes mutually agreed upon with the IOC, NOC Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Sports, with regard to the Sports Law and its regulations,” the letter revealed.
Provided below is a copy of the letter:
National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka13 February 2014To all office bearers of the National Olympic Committee
Dear all,
Inaugural NOC Office Bearers’ Meeting- 13 February 2014The President of the National Olympic Committee regrets very much to inform you of the cancellation of the meeting of the office bearers of the National Olympic Committee that was fixed for today, 13th February 2014 at 5.30 p.m. at the Olympic House.
The reasons for the cancellation are given below:
1) The office bearers of the National Olympic Committee were expected to review the progress of the NOC activities including that of the Working Committee appointed to revamp of the intrusive provisions of the Sports Law of Sri Lanka, which was mutually agreed upon at the meeting held in Lausanne on 27 November 2013, between the Ministry of Sports, including the Hon. Minister of Sports, Sri Lanka, the NOC/ SL and the IOC.
2) Unfortunately, we have now been informed by many member national federations (who were summoned for a meeting at the Ministry of Sports by the Hon. Minister on 6 February 2014) that certain elements who have agendas beyond the terms mutually agreed with the IOC are to storm the NOC premises and to force a discussion on issues that may go beyond the unanimous agreement reached in Lausanne with the IOC. This kind of use of force is unprecedented in the annals of the 75-year-old-history of the NOC Sri Lanka.
3) Many member Federations also feel that the methods being adopted by the Hon. Minister to summon them for adhoc meetings at the Ministry at a very short notice, amounts to use of coercion and undue influence, in order to avoid any changes mutually agreed upon with the IOC, NOC Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Sports, with regard to the Sports Law and its regulations. These kinds of actions, without focusing on the work on hand to ensure independence of the national federations and to keep in sync with the values of the Olympic Charter, could go against our own national interest and convey wrong messages and a bad image of the country to the international sporting community, particularly at a time that the country is preparing to host the Asian Youth Games Championship in 2017 in Hambantota.
Given the above and in order to avoid untoward incidents that have not been experienced in the annals of the 75-year-old history of the NOC Sri Lanka, it is with deep regret and reluctance that the President, NOC has been compelled to postpone indefinitely, today’s meeting of the office bearers of the NOC.
Thank you for your kind cooperation and understanding.
Yours sincerely,
Maxwell De Silva
Secretary General