Promised football ‘Yahapalanaya’ takes U-turn!
View(s):It is almost going to be a year for those at helm at the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL). New faces were given the task of piloting the once controversial FFSL to the uphill, thanks to the New Laws brought in by then Minister of Sports. Though legal controversies existed on nominations within the contestants for the AGM held in May 2015, the Ministry of Sports officials were passing the ball like in a typical football match doing nothing tangible in adhering to the laws. The match finally ended, the results right or wrong came to stay.
Sepp Blatter, the then President of FIFA during his visit to Sri Lanka
During the last two decades there was a big hue and cry by the present set of officials against a One Man Show that was in existence then. This was finally made to crash through the direct intervention of then Minister of Sports, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, ably assisted and supported by few insiders who were also stake holders. Football from thereon, instead of falling on line with the promised ‘Yahapalanaya’, has fallen into further quandary giving birth to another episode of yet another ‘One Man Show’, this time from Negombo.
The saga of the Negombo maestro is continuing and has put the national football into further despair. Nothing happens without the instructions or permission of the man who helped the present office bearers to be what they are today. Executive Committee meetings have become a dumb squib. Decisions are abruptly made from a house in Negombo. The office bearers have become puppets. Coach who could not produce results twice earlier brought back to coach the National Squad. No scouting of talents is taking place. No Youth Development Programme is on the cards. The Samaposha Youth Under-13, Under-15 and Kotmale Chox Under-19 tournaments remains incomplete. Tournaments are scheduled haphazardly inconveniencing the participating teams. Promised allowances to the National Players (Rs. 50000) remains not paid. Most of the affiliates of the FFSL are not properly functioning or not conducting their tournaments as required. No effective mechanism is in place to monitor them. Experts are side-stepped and some who have been there in the AFC/FIFA had been removed. Development Programme is not drawn or continued nor is being conducted to enforce a stable and substantial National Development Programme. No effort is being made to build are formidable national squad at least for the future. Generally, no substantial development is seen.
Around 13 centres were built throughout the country to reach the outskirts, by the previous one man show administration with the grants received from the FIFA Goal Project, FIFA Assistance Programme and the Tsunami. Unfortunately, they are not made to good use by the present administrators. The centers in Norwood and Gampaha, completed in 2013, are still not inaugurated although three years have elapsed. Centres in Badulla, Mannar, Matara, Ampara and Galle appear neglected and not being maintained for the benefit of the game.
The centre in Jaffna was hastily opened during the pre election visit of Sepp Blatter, the then President of FIFA, to Sri Lanka in 2014, probably to garner Asian votes. Blatter became the benefactor through the then FFSL President, Ranjith Rodrigo, who lavishly spent around Rs.16 Million of the FFSL funds to felicitate him during his visit. His presence was twofold. It was also an indirect election campaign for his fourth consecutive term. Aberrantly, few days after re-election, Mr. Blatter had to step down due to serious corruption charges brought against him and his Associate Officials, which was later proved and finally remains suspended for eight years due to his million dollar involvement. He now goes as the biggest corrupt football administrator in the world.
Our national team too collapsed as usual at the just concluded South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in India and at the Bangabandu Gold Cup Tournament in Bangladesh. In the SAFF Championship, Sri Lanka won against Nepal 1-0, lost to India 0-2 and Afghanistan 0-5 and in the Bangabandu Gold Cup lost to Bangladesh 2-4, Nepal 0-1 and won against Felda United Club (Malaysia) by 2-1. Out of 209 countries in the FIFA ranking we have now slipped to 194 in December, 2015. The best we were 122 was in 1998. Now that the South Asian Games 2016 is on the running, let us hope and pray that our heroes will grab the gold and bring back the lost glory for the country.
It is also learnt that a large number of officials namely M/s. Anura de Silva, K.P. Pathirana, Saman Kotage, M. Faiz, Capt. Gamage, M. Zaran, S. Anthonypillai, Asoka Ravindra, Damian Fernando and Ranjith Rodrigo just to name a few had joined the bandwagon to travel overseas for these tournaments costing the Federation a large sum. It appears that the finances are being misused.
Ranjith Rodrigo, having assumed office in 2013 declared that he would be running the game in accordance to the accepted protocol as the past administrators have not done so. He even went up to state that he would not like to be a puppet unlike some of his past presidents. He further stated that for the past two decades the previous presidents namely M/s – the Late J.S.N. Anandarajah, Bodhi Liyanage, Gamini Randeniya, Thilina Panditharatne and Hurley Silveira were not given the opportunity by the then big boss to cast their votes at the FIFA or AFC Congresses. Rodrigo’s sentiments were warmly welcomed by many in the football fraternity then. But, those words were confined only for a media show. He has now got himself nominated to be the voting delegate at the forthcoming FIFA Congress over lapping the present President, Anura de Silva and Secretary General, Balendra Anthony, who are the legitimate entities. Instead, they are going only as delegates for the Congress.
When the Treasurer Mohamed Faslan strongly claimed his due place to be part of the contingent at the Executive Committee Meeting held on January 23, 2016, it was a pity that none of the learned members of the Executive Committee had the courage to support the Treasurer’s legitimate claim. In the process Faslan has been deprived from being part of the team due to his slot being chopped off to accommodate Ranjith Rodrigo. It is a known fact that Ranjith is not even an office bearer at present. His iron-arm is so firm that he is also the Chairman of the Finance and the Media Committee of the FFSL, holding the heart of the FFSL in his hands.
It is now learnt that Faslan had been sidelined because of his protest and approval had been given for the Assistant Treasurer, Sagara Piyatilleke to handle the accounts of the FFSL. It becomes immoral and illegal to get the Assistant Treasurer to take up duties of a Treasurer of a National organisation when the Ttreasurer is available. This is clear violation of the FFSL Constitution Clause 18 and against the mandate given by the General Congress. It is the Treasurer who is responsible in managing the accounts and to operate the bank accounts where millions of Dollars are getting transacted.
If, such an approval is to be given to the Assistant Treasurer, it has to be done by amending the Constitution at a Special or Annual General Meeting and not at an Executive or a Council Meeting. Unfortunately, for Faslan, this was the prize he had to pay for not keeping dumb in the era of another One Man Show. It is time the Hon. Minister of Sports, takes notes of the happenings at the football house and should inquire into the mismanagement and the fast failing standards of the once thriving game.
Our football belongs to our country and thus our dignity is at stake. Dictatorial attitude should be put to a complete stop. The root cause for the miserable state of affairs in the FFSL should be identified and amended for the betterment of the game!
A.H.S.M. Uvais.
(Former Football Referee/Coach/Administrator, former Chairman Media Committee of FFSL, former Secretary for Referees’ Committee of FFSL/SLFRA/CDFRA/Col FL, former AFC Match Commissioner/Referees Assessor)