The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has put to rest months of controversy surrounding the governing constitution of Sri Lanka’s National Olympic Committee (NOCSL) by officially recognizing the version adopted in 2021 as the legitimate operating document.
This clarification comes as a significant blow to the so-called “NOCSL Collective Group”, a faction widely believed to have supported former Secretary General Maxwell De Silva, who was banned for five years following an internal ethics inquiry. The group had reportedly attempted to delay NOCSL operations by challenging meetings and holding press conferences that now appear to have misled the public possibly in an attempt to sway an ongoing court case, which was eventually decided against De Silva on April 30, 2024.
In a letter addressed to NOCSL President Suresh Subramaniam, IOC Associate Director Jérôme Poivey confirmed that the constitution originally approved in 2018 was subsequently and validly amended by the NOC General Assembly in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
“It looks very clear that your NOC Constitution initially adopted… in 2018… was subsequently amended… in 2019, 2020, and 2021,” Poivey stated, adding clarity that these changes are accepted under IOC norms.
The crux of the Collective Group’s argument rested on the claim that the 2018 constitution, which grants more limited powers to the NOCSL president was still in effect. However, the IOC has made it clear that Article 29.3 of the constitution supports the most recent adoption by the General Assembly as legally binding, stating that any newly adopted version automatically supersedes previous ones.
Though the IOC has yet to give formal written approval of the 2021 constitution, it acknowledged the document as operational and visible on the NOCSL’s website. The organization has merely requested that the updated version be officially submitted for its records, a procedural formality rather than a question of legitimacy.
This decisive clarification ends the constitutional debate and reinforces the authority of Subramaniam, who operates under the broader executive powers provided by the 2021 charter. It also marks a significant setback for De Silva’s allies, who had contested the recent Special General Meeting and sought to cast doubt on the legal foundation of the current NOCSL administration.
With the IOC drawing a firm line under the matter, any further disputes appear unlikely to hold weight, paving the way for NOCSL to continue its reform agenda without further internal disruption.
