Sports Minister nullifies four affiliates

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando, has taken steps to ‘temporarily suspend the registration’ of its four affiliated national sports associations through a gazette notification issued on Wednesday (29) evening.

Accordingly the registrations of Sri Lanka Cycling Federation, Sri Lanka Rugby, Sri Lanka Automobile Sports and Sri Lanka Netball Federation have been suspended provisionally, and will be put under the control of the Director General of Department of Sports Development, Professor (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando.

“The mentioned sports by virtue of power vested in me under the Sections 32 and 33 of the Sports Law, No.25 of 1973 and its amendments, and hereby appoint Professor (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando as the competent authority with effect from May 29, 2024 as a temporary mechanism to proceed with administrative and other requested activities of the said national associations/federations of sports and call and conduct relevant elections as well as to perform the duties appropriately until then,” the gazette notification issued under the signatory of Sports Minister Harin Fernando, states.

The four sports governing bodies would come under the control of Professor Fernando, who elaborated that he would make necessary arrangements to conduct its respective elections as early as possible.

The Sports Minister had earlier instructed to reschedule the intended elections to pick the office bearers for the following two-year tenure of Sri Lanka Netball Federation, following several complaints received from few candidates and officials within the circle.

Sri Lanka Cycling Federation has been running through turmoil during the recent years and it is one of the national associations that needs an election to appoint a fresh set of office bearer.

Sri Lanka Rugby is currently being headed by its elected Deputy President, Group Captain Nalin de Silva, after the elected President Rizly Ilyas was forced to step down following internal issues.

Sri Lanka Automobile Sports, a national association that hit headlines after the tragic death of eight persons – three race officials and five spectators – at the recently held Fox Hill Super Cross motorsport event in Diyatalawa, has come under severe criticism for its conduct during and after the event.