J Sri Ranga new football chief
The final attempt to cling on to power by the ousted football chief Jaswar Umar was legitimately prevented after official protests were accepted by the Department of Sports Development on Friday, as
J. Sri Ranga was elected to lead the Football Federation of
Sri Lanka (FFSL) at its elections yesterday.
Umar, who led the FFSL from June in 2021, received extensions twice after the official term of his elected executive committee ended on May 31, last year. But during the entire tenure of over 18 months, his team had failed to oblige the requirements of FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Ministry of Sports, to amend the existing Constitution.
This was a matter FIFA has been reminding FFSL since early 2015, to remodel its Constitution, following a statutory review process and the electoral code. Despite those circumstances, Umar had forwarded his nomination to seek re-election, but following a protest filed by M.M.M. Aflah of Nationalised Services FL, Umar’s nomination was rejected by the Department of Sports Development on Friday.
But the election committee took time until yesterday morning to make the final decision and relate it to Umar, who had presented himself as a legitimate candidate at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Sports. He was later asked to leave the premises by the officials as his representation,
Sri Lanka Referees’ Association, does not possess voting rights at the FFSL elections.
Eventually Ranga, a former television journalist and former parliamentarian, and the president of Mannar Football League, obtained 27 votes. His rival, Jagath Kumara de Silva of Nawalapitiya Football League, received 24 votes.
“Football is the most followed sport in the world, even in Sri Lanka. But due to corruption within our own backyard, we are ranked 207 in the world. While other South Asian countries received grants of US$8 million, Sri Lanka had only received half of it. That too had been totally misused by the previous administration. My task, as the new FFSL President, is to get rid of corruption, and I will officially take over office soon after I get an audited account report from the Auditor General’s Office with regard to the spending and grants, including that US$4 million,” Ranga told reporters soon after his election.
“Anyone coming to serve football are here on honorary, and there should be transparency to all our actions. I intend to practice that practically, so our tasks will become easy as officials,” he added.
Earlier immediate past president Jaswar Umar, representing Sri Lanka Referees’ Association, K.M.S. Perera of Vavuniya FL, Upali Hewage of Seethawaka FL and Emmanuel Arnold of Jaffna FL had entered their names for the race of the FFSL top position, but eventually the battle had been between the two main rivals, which eventually was won by Ranga.
Jagath Kumara again contested for the position of General Secretary, but there to he had to concede after Indika Thenuwara of Matara FL claimed the position with 29 votes against 22. Others in contention for the post were Emmanuel Arnold of Jaffna FL and Upali Hewage of Seethawaka FL, but the two later had withdrawn. T. Suthagar of NSSA elected uncontested to the position of Treasurer, after Vavuniya FL’s A. Nagarajan’s nomination was rejected by the election committee following a protest. In addition to Umar and Nagarajan, Sampath Perera of Vavuniya FL too lost his opportunity to contest following similar protest and findings by the Department of Sports Development of the Ministry of Sport.
However, the newly elected executive committee of FFSL will legitimately have time until May 31 of this year to remain in office. During this period, which is slightly over four months and two weeks, their immediate task would be to complete the requirements of FIFA and AFC, to amend and adopti the existing Constitution, after a statutory review process and electoral code.
“This is the third President I have personally backed at FFSL elections and won. I hope he (Ranga) would act as a responsible President and complete the FIFA and AFC requirements, which should be the priority. He has enough time to complete that, and if he too fails, I would be the first to raise the voice,” former FFSL President Ranjith Rodrigo stated.
According to Rodrigo, the accepted norm of amending and adopting the existing Constitution with importance, after a statutory review process and electoral code would be to make the changes and get the draft approved by the Ministry of Sport and the Attorney General’s Office, before presenting them to FIFA and AFC.
“What Jaswar (Umar) did was the other way around. We need to come out this mess, and the only way to do is follow the rules of our land and our global and regional bodies.”
Upon completing the task and adopting the new constitution, a fresh election would be held after May 31 this year to duly elect a FFSL executive committee, for a tenure of four years in accordance to FIFA and AFC norms. This was the second consecutive occasion where an executive committee of FFSL was limited to a period of 12 months, pending important business.
At yesterday’s election four Vice Presidents and a Deputy General Secretary – Technical were elected, but the positions of Deputy General Secretary – Technical and Assistant Treasurer went vacant. A total of 56 Football Leagues were eligible to vote.