Corruption can ruin the great moves that Sri Lanka Football makes!
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Almost every sport at an international level and in our own nation too, is time and again, tainted by reports of corruption. Without looking far and wide, the scandals rocking FIFA alone should give us enough food for thought.
But that would be too simple, if recent developments in FFSL are anything to go by. Hardly had the ink dried on the words of praise heaped in the media on the arrival of Nizam Packeer Ali; the hosannas speak of a saviour who will resurrect the tarnished name of Sri Lanka Football. While that is left to be seen, several subtle side shows once again turns the spotlight on the administration and brings in its glare, the less desired traits that has made Football House infamous over the years!
The first chink that occurred was the result of the Premier League Division 1 Semi-final match where Ratnam SC defeated Comrade SC by a thumping 10 goals! Social media went viral highlighting the fact that the result was improbable given the performances of both team is earlier rounds. A huge cry was raised across the football landscape with distraught fans suggesting a clear motive of match fixing, aimed at securing the promotion of Ratnam SC into the Champions League; a status they enjoyed in the past! Nice and easy it seems though of course Football suffers. The FFSL should conduct an investigation and make a ruling in this regard.
Even while that crescendo of protest and recrimination was dying down, news began to emerge that The FFSL Ex Co had approved an handsome salary and unlimited perks to its honourary president and secretary general. In this day and age, Football like most top-grade sports is run by professionals and one would not begrudge these emoluments, except in the surreptitious way in which it is done. The FFSL constitution outlines that these key officers being elected positions are Honourary in nature and thus gratifications are not permissible. Apparently, the Executive Committee has also endorsed a generous allowance to the newly appointed Manager of the National Team who also happens to be an Ex Co member. One obviously sees the, you scratch may back syndrome; so it looks like the band wagon is getting more than a new coat of paint! Will the FFSL issue a denial to put the record straight?
Corruption in the FFSL is nothing new. We have heard of numerous cases of mismanagement and downright misappropriation that has been swept under the carpet on many occasions. Even as the last administration came to an end, payments were made to the then CEO without Ex Co approval, a charge that an erstwhile Vice President overlooking Finance at the time brought to the attention of the Ministry of Sports. But nothing happened. Soon after and to add injury to insult, the FFSL Finance Director it was found had spirited away a sum in excess of Rs.25m — enormous losses!
As if to get away from it all, the FFSL took its ‘A’ team for a workshop in the cool climes of Kukulegama. No doubt the National Football 2030 Plan document would have being one important subject of discussion but most Affiliated Leagues are not privy to this milestone publication nor is it clear if the Council has endorsed it. The new National Coach basking in the glory of his prestigious appointment, kicked off a glimpse of what is in store for football when he said quite lucidly at a media conference, that the strategy in the forthcoming SAFF tournament in September 2018 was to settle for a series of draws to attract bonus points. What a salutary message that would be for the players now being primed for selection to the National Team? We don’t play to win anymore, is the message, loud and clear! Another amusing approach that is articulated by the master is an old style of football; so going back to basics appears to be the stratagem but who are we to argue with the experts! With the Japanese grand-master Suzuki in tow, Packeer Ali is going to no doubt draw on the largesse of the Japanese FA. So be it, but football fans are going to be entertained for sure, not by moves on the pitch, but by maneuvers in the murky corridors of Football House.
One campaign in the recent NOC elections ran under the banner, Save Sports from Corruption! The FFSL President we noticed was ponderously aligned with that group though they lost the plot. No wonder that the precept, Practice what you Preach underlines the very fabric woven into the spirit of sport. The mandarins who virtuously claim to serve the interests of the sport more often than not end up serving their own interests. The FFSL President must not succumb to the wiles that have disparaged this noble and popular game. He has the benefit of serving at the helm of FFSL, first as a CEO and now as its President. He knows what transpires in the ivory tour; the back room machinations of the panderers and the superfluous agendas of the superiors of FIFA and AFC. He has captained the Sri Lanka National Team and knows the challenges one faces. So he must decipher before it is too late, how to resurrect Sri Lanka Football from its lowly #200 ranking. In that dream journey, he must resolve that there is no room for corruption on the way!