Suresh delivers ace for NOCSL presidency
Suresh Subramaniam was recently elevated as the Vice President of Asian Tennis Federation
There is never a dull moment in the Lankan Olympic circuit. Now the latest to grab sports fraternity’s attention is that former National tennis captain turned business tycoon Suresh Subramaniam has set his eyes on the post of president of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Subramaniam, who is now holds SLTA’s vice presidency, said; “It’s less than a month since I walked in for my first meeting at the NOCSL and what I noticed there was that I could be of help to the organisation. However, I still have not officially announced my candidacy, but, in all probabilities it would happen sooner than later.”
Nevertheless the former Royalist, who was once the president of the SLTA, said, “If I set upon the task, I will see to that I would succeed in my endeavour.”
So far the team led by Rohan Fernando – the President of the Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka, is the only known party in the fray.
Subramanium said, “On November 9, last month former NOCSL President Hemasiri Fernando and NOCSL Secretary General Maxwell de Silva made a request from me to take up the challenge. They pointed out that I was only person with international exposure in sports administration. After scrutinising the offer well, I decided to come out positively.”
It was only last week that Subramaniam, the Secretary General of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) since 2005, was appointed Vice President of the ATF in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Subramaniam said, “the NOCSL’s AGM is just around the corner, but, I feel that prior to holding the AGM, all accounts should be submitted and passed before the general committee, so that there could be a new beginning.
“At one juncture a certain faction wanted to keep a section of the candidates out of the fray. For instance, sports like Judo, Badminton, Swimming and a few other associations which had a few glitches were to be out, but, now that the IOC has insisted that they too be counted in and the contest is more open.”
The veteran tennis administrator said the present problems in the NOCSL had arisen as a result of not having a proper plan.
“There should be certain goals – short term and long term and also have a proper agenda to back them. For instance, I am hoping to build the first indoor Tennis courts in Sri Lanka. I think it is a positive goal and I hope to operate in that manner,” he said.
Meanwhile NOCSL Secretary General Maxwell de Silva told the Sunday Times that the delay for the AGM was not their fault. He said “If those groups heeded to the advice given by us with regard to the constitution at the executive committee meeting there wouldn’t be a need for a SGM to be held on January 4. It is because of the matters arising at the meeting IOC determined that there should be SGM to ratify matters.
“As things are we could have the audited accounts up to 2016 before the end of this year and we are sure that they would be able to have the AGM before mid February 2018.”