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The battle for the Asian Five Nations Division 1 tournament will take place in Singapore. Sri Lanka is scheduled to play Chinese Taipei in their first match on the 14th of April. There were conflicting reports of the ban imposed on certain players being lifted. The record has been set straight with the Ministry of Sports clearing the ban imposed on fifteen players.
Rohan Gunaratne the Manager of the Sri Lankan team conformed that players have been at practice and they are optimistic and looking forward to a good performance in Singapore. There was a question that arose about the contents of the letter the players were to give. It seems that it has been sorted out. Speaking to reliable sources from Kandy SC it was confirmed that the player’s have submitted a letter. It was a request to lift their ban and had referred to the announcement His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka made at the awards ceremony and was quoted extensively by the media. The players have said that they are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Dr. Maiya Gunasekera |
This is apparently different to a letter of apology that was sent by the players from Colombo. The main issue here is that at the end the Sri Lanka best are at practices and there was no need to appease the pride of some who were bent on demanding an apology. That I was told was how the players saw the issue.
With the Annual General Meeting being a fiasco there is still of more areas of the constitution that may affect the nominations that have been accepted. It is that there are others who believe that, name dropping has not their forte but that it is time to do so .To use legal and or persuasive methods. Talk to people who they know and have the power.
On 5th of April Dr Gunasekera the President of the Interim committee has addressed David Carrigy Head of External Affairs and Member Relations of the IRB. While there are much frills added to this letter I reproduce the following paragraph which might be of interest. “The Sri Lanka youth team averaging 21 years which went to a Sevens tournament in New Delhi did remarkably well and came to the finals. We are very confident of fielding a very strong side at the Asian 5 nation Division 1 tournament in order to win the tournament .So be kind enough not to suspend us but give us another 4 to 6 weeks grace so that we may have the AGM. One reason for the delay in writing this letter was that I gave a draft of a similar letter to Mr. Jarrad Gallagher upon his request for him to vet before I write to you and have still not heard from him and I feel that I should not delay anymore in writing to you. Mr Jarrad Gallagher was there in person and will confirm on what I have written and when I met him at the hotel the day after the meeting he confirmed that he had spoken to the members of The Western Province and other Provinces and informed that in no uncertainty that they should hold the AGM or all will be lost for Sri Lanka.”
Elsewhere in the letter the President of the Interim body says that all that was possible was done to hold the AGM and will definitely overcome obstacles and have an elected body in power. Well and good if all is that simple. As I have said earlier it is those little machinations that are being questioned that drops the dung into the creamy glass of milk that you offer. It is an irony of life like in a glass of milk that the scum and the cream surface to the tip. Some may be ethical issues and not legal. Like staying on and continuing in the interim committee having submitted nominations.
It is possibly that my mind does not allow reconciling some comments in the letter written by the President that makes the hurdles in getting the stake holders together. It is stated that All representatives of A Division clubs were present and only two provinces were present. It states further that the Clubs who were present were demanding that the AGM be held and that to take them as representing the Western Province. It further states that Mr Jarrad Gallaher was given the opportunity to talk by me and he very clearly told Mr Dahanayake not to do anything unconstitutional and if there is no quorum to postpone the meeting.
The question that arises is as who should have been at the AGM in accordance with the constitution. The Union consists of the Provinces and other bodies such as the schools etc. The provinces consist of the cubs. The A division clubs have representation in the council according the amended constitution Therefore the A Division clubs being there at the AGM can be questioned. Also if the Ministry called for a meeting it should have been the prerogative of the Chair to allow another to speak. Then again does it need the IRB / ARFU representative to say not to do anything that is unconstitutional. This s is where the slip starts showing and where the IRB will start to be to wonder.
Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB |
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