The sporting community in Sri Lanka is currently embroiled in much controversy due to reports of widespread violation of the country’s Sports Law by officials who hold executive positions within various sports associations in the country.
These violations have raised significant concerns about the governance and ethical standards within Sri Lanka’s sports administration.
In a recent development, the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka has come under scrutiny for its decision-making regarding the oversight of its upcoming elections.
Vice President of the Cycling Federation Nishantha Piyasena, who is also the President of the Modern Pentathlon, is reportedly planning to appoint a former High Court Judge, Tissa Ekanayake, to oversee these elections. Furthermore, Nishantha Piyasena, a key figure in this scenario and who is also a close ally of Maxwell De Silva, the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, is reported to be in violation of the Sports Law, due to his business activities related to the importation and sale of bicycles in the country.
Retired High Court Judge Mr. L.A. Tissa Ekanayake
This decision has attracted controversy due to the retired former High Court Judge Ekanayake’s past, where he was prevented from performing his duties by the Judicial Service Commission following allegations of misconduct. This incident was initially brought to light by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on May 10, 2004, and was further exposed when the state-run Daily News published a report on May 13, 2004, alleging Judge Ekanayake’s involvement in drug trafficking. The report also highlighted that Ekanayake opted for early retirement despite being eligible to serve for six more years.
Usually there is no smoke without fire, and whilst delving into this matter further, The Morning Telegraph was informed that the former Judge Tissa Ekanayake also does share close bonds of friendship with the current NOCSL Sec. Gen Maxwell De Silva.
But what was more alarming is that Ekanayake’s niece currently works at the Attorney General’s office, a department who is yet to provide its opinion to the Special Investigation Unit attached to the Ministry of Sports to proceed further, after they had submitted their findings into a fraud that was committed by Maxwell De Silva way back in 2016.
These developments come in the wake of reports by The Morning Telegraph revealing that several officials of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka are in breach of the amended Sports Law Act No. 25 of 1973. This law strictly mandates that an individual may hold only one position within a sports body to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure dedicated governance. Specifically, section (8) of Gazette No. 2310/26 dated December 14, 2022, outlines that holding multiple key positions across different sports associations or clubs is a clear violation of the Sports Law.
This scenario underlines the challenges of enforcing legal and ethical standards within sports administration in Sri Lanka. It highlights the need for stricter adherence to the Sports Law to ensure that sports governance is conducted in a transparent, fair, and ethical manner.
The involvement of individuals with questionable pasts and the pursuit of multiple roles by officials within the sports community not only contravene the established legal framework but also undermine the integrity and public trust in sports administration.
