Is ‘coaching’ a crime in sport?
Dian Gomes may not have been an outstanding boxer but he is credited with resurrecting a sport which was in the doldrums and give a corporate profile to boxing in Sri Lanka. No one will grudge the fact that he has been the face of Sri Lanka boxing in the international arena during the past two decades. His leadership and zeal resulted in Anuruddha Rathnayake becoming the first boxer from Sri Lanka to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 after a hiatus of 40 years. The crowning glory came at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games where Sri Lanka won three bronze medals after 68 years, including the first by a woman pugilist Anusha Kodituwakku.
Sri Lanka’s recent ‘Godfather’ of boxing has been accused of being a dictator and accumulated many detractors despite his intentions to put the sport on a pedestal. Dian Gomes has almost single-handedly fuelled the aspirations of boxers in the country and opened new horizons like what Ana Punchihewa did to cricket as Sri Lanka’s dream of winning an Olympic medal in boxing still lives on. His contribution to boxing has even been recognised by the international body governing sport when he was elected to serve in the executive committee of AIBA – a rare honour for a Sri Lankan.
However, the National Olympic Council of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has taken up cudgels against him for having represented the country as a ‘coach’ at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG) and denied him voting rights at their annual general meeting to be held tomorrow via zoom technology. The NOCSL has prevented two officials – BASL President Dian Gomes and Sri Lanka Archery Association (SLAA) President Commander (Rtd) H.U. Silva from voting since he is an Honorary Life Member of NOCSL.
“I was requested by the NOCSL to arbitrarily provide a letter of my participation at the CWG 2018, where I acted as a cornerman or cutman. For that I received an accreditation card from the organisers with the designation of ‘coach’ as they did not have a dedicated title for cornermen. After a request made through BASL to the NOCSL it was altered as ‘Team Official’, and that few hours of me holding an accreditation card titled ‘Coach’ for some hours, was given to me as a reason for not being invited for the NOCSL AGM, which for me is an amusing fact. Being part of BASL for many years, I know how it works to be an official at any capacity,” Gomes told the Sunday Times.
Being an Executive Committee Member of AIBA and the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC), bars him from engaging as a coach in any capacity. The local sports law also prevents individuals who are coaches from holding top positions in any national sports association.
“I always consider myself as a person who motivates athletes, be it boxing or any other sport. If I had intentions in pursuing a career as a boxing coach, I would have not become an official of a sporting body for more than 15 years. I really don’t get what the NOCSL is trying to depict here,” said a surprised Gomes.
According to records, 3-star boxing coaches – Harsha Kumara and AmilaAravinda – accompanied Sri Lanka at the CWG 2018.
“I am not a professional coach. I am a certified AIBA one-star coach because otherwise I can’t get to the field of play. I got my accreditation as a team official. I never even went as a coach but without an inquiry or anything, they have taken an arbitrary decision ‘Dian is a coach, so he can’t be in the NOC and won’t allow me to vote’,” said Gomes vowing to come out fighting like a wounded tiger against the apex body governing sports in the country.
“I can’t be president of Sri Lanka boxing nor be in AIBA and all that if this grievance that I went as a coach for the Commonwealth Games 2018 is applied. Last year we allowed it to go because I was out of the country and because we fight against corruption, they are trying to keep me out,” said Gomes who was recently appointed a member of the Public Services Commission (PSC).
“It (PSC) is like the Supreme Court of the Public Service. They (NOCSL) are treating me like a common criminal. I am not going to take it standing down,” said Gomes.
“They (NOCSL) are talking of sexual harassment. It is people harassment. We can have a coaching qualification. That doesn’t mean you are a professional coach. For example, I am a qualified accountant but I’m not a practicing accountant. The Sports Act is the law of the land. If I am a coach or professional coach, I can’t have an executive position in Sri Lanka plus AIBA or ASBC. I am not considered a coach in any of those organisations,” he explained.
NOCSL officials maintained that they were merely adhering to their constitution and not harassing anyone.
“Even last time Dian could not attend. A rule is a rule. It applies across the board to all, not for one single person. I explained to Dian ‘you by your letter insisted that you wanted to go as a coach. Your letter is very clear. As president of boxing you have signed, your secretary has signed appointing you as the coach’. Balance is irrelevant to us,” said NOCSL president Suresh Subramanium providing documentary proof.
“He is my brother’s friend. Or somebody will say he is a Royalist. A third party will say why a special option for Dian and what about others. Their own people will write to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and say Subramanium violated the constitution. Our constitution is approved by the IOC. This is not what we picked up. We can’t violate the constitution to suit people. This is what you have done. I inherited the constitution,” said Subramanium alluding to the fact that it had been there when Gomes was NOCSL Vice President until 2009.
“It doesn’t mean we are stopping them from voting. The boxing federation (BASL), anybody can vote. For that matter this time it is a zoom meeting. We won’t know who is sitting on the other side. Each federation has three people. Anybody can talk. If Dian gets up when voting takes place, you mean he can’t tell other people to vote,” said Subramaniam who insisted that the BASL and SLAA have not been deprived of their voting rights.
The NOCSL also held a special Executive Board meeting on December 4 to discuss this matter.
“For Dian I said ‘you make a special request and I will take it up at our Board meeting’. I discussed this issue but members were of the view that the constitution is above all of us. Then I said ‘if you want, we will take it up at the AGM’. I gave that option to Dian – to get it voted and change that clause. I also feel it is not the right thing. I am willing to do that to change. Then he withdrew,” said Subramaniam, a former tennis national doubles champion who was coach of the Sri Lanka Davis Cup team in 1989-1990.
Regarding the issue of H.U. Silva, the NOCSL president said he had not made an official request to withdraw his honorary life membership.
“His voting rights have nothing to do with NOC. If you refer to any sports body in Sri Lanka and in the world, if you are an honorary life member you have no voting right and you have no place to hold office. To me it’s a disgrace that he is holding office at Archery (SLAA). I told him to officially write to us. Then he withdrew. You can’t have the cake and eat the cake,” he said Subramanium.
“It’s more useful to an active sports administrator than an immobile honorary life member,” Silva stated.