Sri Lanka Football – caught on the wrong foot!
They became foes from friends and they are back together again to fight against the malpractices of present FFSL administration
News is raging in media circles about the impending AGM of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), subsequent to the visit by FIFA officials early next week to confer with the President and ExCo, as well as with the Sports Ministry officials, as to the next steps in the saga that is unfolding by the hour.
Meanwhile, the Sports Ministry in its generosity, has granted approval (along with few other national federations) to extend the AGM date by a period of 15 days, though many FFSL ExCo members claim that they have received no official intimation or gazette notification. Thus the FFSL mandate would have lapsed on August 31, 2022, which was also an extended deadline.
A dissident group led by no less a personage than its former President and senior Vice President Ranjith Rodrigo is on record as having convened a media conference last Thursday, to outline as to why he is compelled to take such a drastic action. Rodrigo was joined by another former President, CEO and national captain Anura de Silva, to lay bare the compelling reasons for the repeated objections that have been raised against the administration headed by FFSL President Jaswar Umar. Joining these two FFSL strongmen in this campaign, is another FFSL stalwart, Dr. Manil Fernando, who opposed Umar in the last election, supported by several league officials, all of who claim that the present administration has functioned in a most irresponsible way over the last year or so. Enough is enough was the refrain.
These prominent FFSL officials were emphatic in their allegations that several blatant malpractices have taken place under Umar’s watch. Some of these wrongdoings in their view, are as follows:
Importantly, a bone of contention is the fact that the FFSL has failed to amend the constitution despite COPE and Sports Ministry instructions and its adoption at FFSL AGM/Council to be held by the May 31; this deadline was subsequently extended to August 31, 2022. It is a matter of record that successive administrations had failed to amend the constitution per the model proposed by FIFA; enjoining orders obtained may have delayed this adoption, but further delays appear to be unwarranted.
It is understood that FIFA officials are due in the island early next week and will be in consultation with FFSL and the Ministry of Sports with regard to the overdue AGM and the adoption of the revised constitution. It may be in the interest of these FIFA officials to also meet with dissenting groups in order to get a first hand knowledge of what is transpiring in the local football landscape. It is common knowledge that political interventions are rampant in the FFSL conduct of its affairs and all forms of sleight-of-hand is employed to circumvent or distract both the authorities and the football loving public in Sri Lanka of what is taking place. Truth is stranger than fiction and the Integrity Committee of FIFA must not permit anything other than the truth to prevail.
The stupendous sums of money that are being quoted are mind blowing. Most, if not all of these infusions are coming from FIFA or AFC. Thus its absolute diligence and transparency must be evident in all dealings and transactions. Sri Lanka is going through a huge economic crisis with the IMF in attendance. Therefore, any misdemeanors or mismanagement on the part of FFSL would also be the responsibility of the Ministry of Sports. Accountability on the part of these government agencies is paramount and should not be condoned.
For long, the public at large and the football community in particular has for long remained stupefied and silent by the gross negligence and corruption at Football House. How the Ministry of Sports has overlooked this behavior is a sad testimony of what ails sport in general. It is time that Ministry of Sports and FIFA join hands to institute a Normalization Committee that can conduct a forensic audit and completely overhaul the football life in this country. Not only is football trapped on the wrong foot, it is at the rock bottom of FIFA ranking and destined to remain there, if the powers that be, don’t act without any further delay.
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