Minister of Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage must intervene for sake of national athletes
In a stern rebuke to the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has reinforced its decision to maintain the financial suspension imposed in December 2024. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has backed this stance, declaring that until all officials implicated in corruption are removed, financial aid will not be restored.
This move comes in response to NOCSL President Suresh Subramaniam’s plea for the release of frozen funds. In a letter dated February 17, 2025, OCA Director General Hussain Al Mussalaem acknowledged the financial hardship faced by Sri Lankan athletes but made it clear that the organization will only reconsider funding once NOCSL has undergone a complete internal overhaul.
A Long-Standing Corruption Crisis
The financial suspension stems from years of governance failures, misappropriation of funds, and blatant corruption within NOCSL. The worst offenders, led by suspended Secretary General Maxwell de Silva, have allegedly siphoned off vast amounts of funding meant for Sri Lankan athletes, with some of the money even linked to fraudulent activities like human smuggling.
While key officials such as Vice President Suranjith Premadasa and Treasurer Gamini Jayasinghe have resigned in disgrace, OCA has expressed concern that several of de Silva’s accomplices such as Assistant Secretary Chandana Liyanage, Kanchana Jayaratne, Sampath Alahakoon, and others still hold power within NOCSL.
Chandana Liyanage, who chaired the Procurement Committee, is under intense scrutiny for swindling funds and accepting massive commissions on deals. His immediate removal is seen as a prerequisite for the reinstatement of funding.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Sports, led by Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, has been urged to take decisive action against those still violating the country’s sports laws, including Sampath Alahakoon, the secretary of the Taekwondo Sports Association and a coach at Kelaniya University.
Financial Misconduct and a Forensic Audit
To clean up the mess, Subramaniam has initiated a forensic audit into NOCSL’s finances, engaging top auditing firms to investigate major funding sources such as the Olympic Solidarity Fund, the Athletes Commission, the Forest Cover Project, and various sports associations.
Preliminary findings suggest that funds meant for athlete training, education, and development have been systematically embezzled. Even a sum of US $30,000 allocated to the Athletes Commission currently managed by former Olympians Niluka Karunaratne and Rasika Udugampola has reportedly been misused.
Adding to the scandal, fraudulent sports associations like Teqball and Dance Sports were created to manipulate voting power within NOCSL, ensuring the long-term control of corrupt officials. These associations were swiftly dissolved by the Ministry of Sports once their fraudulent nature was exposed. Even Modern Pentathlon, overseen by President Nishantha Piyasena, is under scrutiny and could face suspension pending further investigation.
The Impact on Sri Lankan Athletes
NOCSL’s corruption scandal has put Sri Lanka’s participation in major international competitions including the South Asian Games (SAG), Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and the Olympics at serious risk.
In his appeal to OCA, Subramaniam warned that the funding freeze is causing irreparable damage to Sri Lankan athletes, with an estimated monthly loss of $30,000.
“Some of our local sponsors have already distanced themselves from the NOCSL,” he wrote. “I would greatly appreciate it if you could reconsider the financial suspension on our organization.”
Despite his concerns, OCA remains firm: unless NOCSL undergoes a complete transformation and expels all tainted officials, funding will not resume.
A Final Stand: The Battle Against Corruption
The IOC and OCA’s message is clear Sri Lanka must remove all corrupt elements within NOCSL if it hopes to regain its credibility and financial backing.
As calls grow louder for the expulsion of Maxwell de Silva’s accomplices, including Assistant Secretary Chandana Liyanage, the spotlight is now on Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage to take decisive action. Without immediate intervention, Sri Lankan athletes could be left without the necessary resources to compete at international events.
For now, the fight against corruption in Sri Lankan sports continues, and until justice is served, the funding freeze remains firmly in place.
