Nishantha R. challenges Sumathipala in bid for SLC presidency
Former Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga says that he has forwarded his nomination at the request of a host of stake holders who were of the view that the incumbent SLC chief Thilanga Sumathipala should not get a free passage.
Nishantha Ranatunga
Airing his views to the Sunday Times Ranatunga said “I represent a powerful anti-Sumathipala lobby that is of the view that Thilanga Sumathipala should be contested at this juncture. But, the way the SLC had structured the affair the Nishantha led faction hardly had any time to organise themselves within the allotted timeframe. They had posted the letter on 6th April which was a Friday and the letters may have reached our office by the 9-10 with the whole accent turned into the Aluth Aururudu season and work in earnest only came back in focus from April 16 onwards and nominations closed on Friday April 27. There wasn’t sufficient time for us to go into a detailed team composition where all posts were covered.”
Ranatunga also said so many clauses in the national sports law relevant to eligibility of candidates have been altered from during the former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s tenure to sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekera’s tenure and he feels that is not ethical to keep changing he sports law in that manner.
However he said that he came up with his candidature for the post of President while his former assistant secretary Hirantha Perera came up with his candidature for the post of secretary. He also added that now that the elections have been postponed, they now have sufficient time to organise themselves and come with a proper plan on behalf of the Nishantha led faction.
The Nishantha Ranatunga led faction comes with the blessings of Jayantha Dharmadasa, Upali Dharmadasa and Arjuna Ranatunga.