NSC Duo Chairman Priyantha Ekanayake and Member Rohan Abeykoon Shown The Task Force Exit Door
Colombo, May 24, 2025 – In what critics are calling a textbook case of bureaucratic backpedaling, Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage has been forced to issue a fresh gazette notification, revoking the controversial appointments of NSC Chairman Priyantha Ekanayake and NSC Member Rohan Abeykoon to the newly formed Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) Task Force.
The reversal, which came less than 48 hours after the original gazette was issued, followed mounting pressure from legal experts and sports administrators who pointed out that the inclusion of serving members of the National Sports Council (NSC) on a governance body for a national sport violated provisions of Sports Law No. 25 of 1973.
The amended gazette now names Ravi Wijenathan, a seasoned rugby administrator, and DIG (Rtd) Hafeel Marso as replacements on the five-member committee led by SDIG (Rtd) M.R. Latiff, which also includes National Olympic Committee President Suresh Subramaniam and President’s Counsel Dinal Phillips.
Blame Game Begins
While the Minister has been commended for swiftly acknowledging the error and correcting it, the embarrassment has sparked deeper concerns about internal oversight within the Ministry. Many have pointed fingers at Ekanayake and Abeykoon, accusing them of knowingly accepting appointments that breached established legal protocols.
Adding fuel to the fire, questions are now being raised about why Dinal Phillips, a senior legal figure and member of the Task Force, failed to flag the conflict particularly since he has been involved in legal battles related to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), where he represented parties opposing the very Ministry he now serves alongside.
More Headaches for the Minister
Minister Gamage, a professional from a finance background, is not expected to be intimately familiar with the intricate legalities of Sri Lanka’s sports governance framework. However, this very incident underscores the importance of accurate briefings from his advisory team, whose failure to highlight the glaring error has now put the Minister in an rather embarrasing situation and in the public spotlight.
The controversy has also reignited calls for Rohan Abeykoon’s complete removal from event the NSC, following revelations that he has supplied sport clothing to Sri Lanka Cricket, a potential conflict of interest and also an act that goes against the country’s sports law. His recent involvement in being present when measuring Sri Lanka Rugby players for jerseys before the matches against the New Zealand Under 85kg team further blurred lines between public duty and private interest. Some claim that even rugby jerseys for the national rugby team were supplied by Abeykoon even though that is yet to be confirmed.
Sidath Wettimuny’s Appointment Also Raises Ethical Questions
Meanwhile, a fresh concern has emerged around the inclusion of former Sri Lanka cricketer Sidath Wettimuny as a member of the NSC. Wettimuny is currently one of the petitioners in an active court case filed where the the former Sports Minister and the Ministry itself are named as responders. Legal observers are questioning how someone litigating against the government can simultaneously hold an official position within the same ministry. The apparent contradiction has left many stakeholders baffled and demanding clarity.
Haphazard Administration Exposed
While the Sports Minister’s quick correction of the SLR gazette may have saved his blushes, the incident however highlights a larger pattern of haphazard administration and poor internal coordination within the Ministry of Sports. For a government eager to present a cleaner, more professional image in public institutions, these missteps suggest the need for more rigorous vetting, transparency, and adherence to legal frameworks before governance becomes yet another game played off the field.
