With the resignation of the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Boxing Association two months ago, more questions have been raised on the status of the sport while the director general of sports has shown little or no interest to put the house in order.
The Secretary’s resignation coincided with calls for investigations into irregularities and accountability.
In his letter, the secretary highlighted his observations that the association’s operations lacked transparency during his tenure.
A copy of this letter was also sent directly to the Director General of Sports, who oversees all sports associations. However, the Director General has neither sought clarification from the SLBA Secretary or its President regarding these concerns nor has the association appointed a new Secretary to continue operations.
Furthermore, according to the association’s constitution, the annual financial report must be audited and submitted to the Director General of Sports before March 14 each year.
To date, no report has been submitted and no monthly financial reports have been prepared so far. The accounts of the association serve as a mirror of its transparency and failure to submit these reports constitutes a serious violation.
The silence of all executive committee members in response to these irregularities indicates their complicity in the wrongdoing.
The Minister of Sports, who is a qualified Chartered Accountant is now expected to investigate why they are acting in this manner.
Moreover, without the approval of the Ministry of Sports, the President of the Sri Lanka Boxing Association has unilaterally engaged with the Asian Boxing Confederation to organize the upcoming Asian U22 Championship in Sri Lanka and has issued official announcements regarding the event.
This is a grave offense as no security assessment has been conducted for the participating countries. The unauthorized use of power without the ministry’s approval raises concerns about whose influence or support the SLBA President is acting under.
Additionally, although he serves as a Consul, he is also a businessman with allegations that he does not operate business accounts in Sri Lanka.
Given the existing financial irregularities within the Sri Lanka Boxing Association and his involvement, there are calls for a thorough investigation and prompt disciplinary action.
