FINA ban on Sri Lanka – was it a deliberate mistake?
Local swimmers will be the ultimate losers
While the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC) qualms on some of its affiliated associations being banned in time to come, Sri Lanka has already missed out fielding a strong team at the upcoming South Asian Swimming and Aquatic Championships, for the same reason. The swimming event was scheduled to be held in Bangalore, India from January 24 to 27, but after FINA, the World Body for aquatic sports, imposed a provisional banned on Sri Lanka, the organisers have been forced to postpone the four-day championship.
The Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) was run by a three-member Interim Committee appointed by the Ministry of Sports, but after complaints made to FINA from certain local parties, the World Swimming Body, had straightforwardly banned the South Asian nation.
As a result Sri Lanka would not be able to take part in any regional or international aquatic event, unless their swimmers compete under the FINA flag. The direct impact from the ban affected the strong contingent of 130 swimmers, who were preparing for the South Asian Swimming and Aquatic Championships.
In addition sources reveal that outside meddling too have made the matters more worse, adding more questions to existing troubles in the local swimming arena. It is reliably learnt that certain coaches and parents of swimmers have made strong interference to matters beyond their circle.
“Swimming is a sport where Sri Lanka can win medals. At the last South Asian Games in 2016, Sri Lanka won the largest amount of medals. The total was 39 with 12 gold, 16 silver and 11 bronze medals. In 2017 at the Youth Commonwealth Games in Bahamas, Sri Lanka bagged two silver medals, both in swimming. Targeting the South Asian Swimming Championships, upcoming swimmers performed well, but now with what has happened, all their hopes have been shattered,” renowned coach Manoj Abeysinghe grieved.
“There is no point in writing to the FINA. The only solution left is to call for an Annual General Meeting, soon” added a concerned Abeysinghe.
According to the Interim Committee head Ruwan Sathkumara (He is the Director of Sports Development of Ministry of Sports) he had been totally left in the dark of the development, up to the point of being banned by FINA.
“We are following instructions of the Ministry of Sports. With regard to the ban, we were not aware until few days ago, when the organisers of the South Asian event informed us that they had to postponed it, following the FINA ban on Sri Lanka. We (Interim Committee), had no way to connect with the World Body or the Asian Body, as the former administration did not provide us with the e-mail password to officially correspond with them,” stated Sathkumara, who went on to say that the FINA ban was not on the Interim Committee but the former SLASU administration.
“There was a fault from our part as well. We have not informed FINA that SLASU was susspended and an Interim Committee presently runs the association,” he added while pointing the finger on swimming coaches, who paved the path for a global ban.
The FINA ban on Sri Lanka has raised concerns to the NOC, who fears that more sports will follow swimming with international bans.
“There is the fear that several national associations affiliated to the NOC will be banned in the near future,” said Maxwell de Silva, its Secretary General.
“According to the National Sports Law, if the Annual General Meeting or the Elections are not held, the Ministry of Sports take the responsibility by appointing Interim Committees. This is the prime reason for swimming being banned,” continued de Silva.
Over 30 national associations are currently affiliated to the NOC and three out of them — hockey, badminton and swimming, are presently run without a properly elected administration.
“No World Sports Body accepts decisions of an Interim Body. Ultimately the sport related will be banned, swimming is the latest example to it.”
With no other option available and the hierarchy of the Ministry of Sports changing hands after the recent political instability, the NOC has decided to brief the recently appointed Minister of Sports, Harin Fernando, on the gravity of the situation.
“The NOC has already informed the International Olympics Committee (IOC) about the sports that are currently being run by Interim Committees in Sri Lanka. We will also inform the Minister of Sports, so that he would assist the affected local bodies to reach a settlement to the existing debacles by holding elections and to make them active associations once again,” explained de Silva.
De Silva partly blamed the Ministry of Sports, then run under by Faiszer Mushthapha, for not acting accordingly, when unqualified candidates forwarded names for the SLASU elections. Abeysinghe, the productive coach of the recent times, too went on to endorse de Silva’s views of the failure of the Ministry of Sports for appointing an Interim Committee without directly rejecting unqualified nominations and following FINA guidelines.