Today should have been remembered as a milestone in Sri Lanka Rugby’s proud 140-year history. Instead, the election to choose its next president has spiraled into a national-level controversy, with shocking revelations of politicization, military lobbying, and a candidate who, by the very letter of the constitution, is not even eligible to contest.
At the center of the storm is CR & FC’s nominee, Pavithra “Pavi” Fernando, a man whose campaign has received extraordinary and troubling levels of support from quarters that should have remained strictly neutral. In recent weeks, the Police, the Tri Forces, and even the Ministry of Sports have aligned themselves behind Fernando. Asia Rugby’s own appointee, Retired Group Captain Nalin De Silva, has even been spotted canvassing alongside Pavi Fernando, visiting none other than Retired Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, now Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, to gather support from the armed forces.
The move shocked the rugby fraternity. What business does an international rugby official have interfering with domestic elections? And why, of all people, is the Defense Secretary being courted over a sports ballot? The picture of these three together has confirmed what many feared this election has been hijacked by politics.
President AKD’s Worry
Word reaching The Morning Telegraph suggests that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake himself has grown uneasy about the turn of events. When approached by intermediaries requesting his blessing to secure Police and Tri Forces votes for Fernando, he reportedly dismissed the idea, remarking, “How in heaven’s name could I do it? It will certainly upset Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.” The reference was pointed. Pavi Fernando is the son of Hemasiri Fernando, the disgraced former Defence Secretary blamed for negligence during the Easter Sunday bombings. For Cardinal Ranjith, his name remains synonymous with betrayal.
If the President himself is wary of supporting Fernando, then why are ministers, state officials, and the military falling in line? That is the question haunting Sri Lanka’s sporting and political circles alike.
The Sports Minister’s Blind Eye
The current Minister of Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, seems unfazed. Instead of addressing glaring irregularities, he has delegated the matter to his trusted ally, National Sports Council Chairman Priyantha Ekanayake. Even more alarming, Shanitha Fernando, a member of the very same Sports Council, has been nominated as Pavi’s Deputy President, an open admission that state machinery is tilted towards CR & FC’s candidate.
The government, swept into power on promises of “good governance,” now finds itself accused of doing precisely the opposite. By turning a blind eye to irregularities, it has placed Sri Lanka Rugby in the crosshairs of World Rugby scrutiny.
The Danger of Dynasties
At its core, this saga is not just about one man, but about a pattern. Sri Lanka has seen what family dynasties do to politics, the Bandaranaikes, the Rajapaksas, the Premadasas and now it threatens to seep into sport. The Fernando name is already stained. Hemasiri Fernando’s tenure as President of the National Olympic Committee ended in allegations of corruption and a court case for misappropriation of funds. His role as Defence Secretary during the Easter attacks remains one of the darkest failures of the state.
Do we now allow his son to inherit yet another national institution? History offers chilling reminders. Football in Sri Lanka was gutted by the father-son duo of Manilal and Manil Fernando. A confidential KPMG “Orange Report” found millions of US dollars embezzled during their reign, leaving the sport in shambles. Rugby, once a proud beacon of Sri Lankan sport, risks heading down the same road.
The Illusion of a “Different” Candidate
Those who know Pavi Fernando personally describe him as fun-loving, loyal to friends, and good company. They insist he is “different” from his father. But the old idiom rings true: the apple does not fall far from the tree. In a nation exhausted by dynasties and their corruption, even the hint of another one creeping into sport is alarming.
If CR & FC and its allies succeed in bending the rules to push Fernando into office, Sri Lanka Rugby will not only lose credibility at home but will also face questions from the international rugby community.
A Dark Precedent
What should have been a celebration of rugby democracy has instead become a grim warning. The interference of political and military powers in sport, the quiet complicity of government figures, and the specter of yet another family dynasty all combine to create a dangerous precedent.
This election is no longer just about who runs Sri Lanka Rugby. It is about whether sport in Sri Lanka can remain free from the toxic cycles of nepotism and politicization that have crippled the nation for decades.
Archetype SriLankan “kabuki theater “.