* Minister of Sports Harin ‘one day hero, next day zero’ due bad advice
By Julian Jansen
In a grand display of bureaucratic brilliance, the Additional Secretary (Development) at the Ministry of Sports, D. Anuradha L. Perera, has demanded that Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) hand over all its documents, books, and equipment to the Director General of the Sports Development Department. This follows Minister of Sports Harin Fernando’s issuance of an Extraordinary Gazette on May 29, 2024, temporarily suspending Sri Lankan Rugby.
The Director General of Sports Development is now tasked with overseeing SLR’s administration and organizing elections. This development comes after World Rugby lifted SLR’s suspension, which had been initially imposed by World Rugby, Asia Rugby, and the Ministry of Sports. The lifting of the suspension was conditional on SLR amending its constitution to give ‘A’ Division Clubs individual voting rights.
Since 1991, the SLR constitution has operated under a Provincial Union system, with ‘A’ Division Clubs casting their votes through their respective Provincial Unions. This system functioned smoothly for over three decades, but calls for change began during Rizly Illyas’ presidency, which was cut short by interventions from sports ministers, former SLR presidents, and Asia Rugby. Concerns about ‘paper clubs’ influencing SLR’s control became a contentious issue.
One condition for lifting SLR’s suspension was the removal of Executive Director Hasan Sinhawansa due to alleged protocol breaches and constitutional violations in his appointment. Sinhawansa resigned, but questions remain about whether a proper handover was completed. This led to the Ministry of Sports officially requesting the handover of all relevant materials. Adding to the chaos, Group Captain (Rtd) Nalin De Silva, the former President-Elect, did not ensure this handover, and his Secretary, Nizam Jamaldeen, is frequently out of office, complicating matters further. This raises concerns about the potential misplacement of important documents.
The Director General of Sports Development will need to review all proposal letters sent to SLR and examine council and executive committee minutes to understand the organization’s proceedings. Allegations have surfaced regarding funds intended for SLR training being temporarily directed to a personal account before being transferred to the SLR account, warranting a forensic audit.
In a move that adds a touch of irony, Minister Harin Fernando has decided to include the previously suspended SLR President-Elect, Group Commander (Rtd) Nalin De Silva, in his Sports Ministry team. This decision signals the beginning of a new chapter in the administration of Sri Lankan Rugby, with potential legal battles anticipated in the Hultsdorf Courts.
Meanwhile, Minister of Sports Harin Fernando seems to be in a tremendous hurry to “clean up” or rather “fix” issues in several sports associations across Sri Lanka. His vigorous pursuits, likely spurred by advice as reliable as a three-legged stool, are making him look more like a hurricane in a teacup with every passing day.
Currently, SLR, the Netball Federation, the Cycling Federation, and Sri Lanka Automobile Sports are suspended and now under the iron-fisted oversight of Professor (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando, the Director General of Sports at the Sports Ministry.
In a stroke of bureaucratic genius, a recent newspaper announcement from Prof. (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando the DG of Sports called all four associations to attend a Special General Meeting (SGM) on June 12th and 13th, 2024. This move has caused quite a stir, primarily because it completely ignores the fact that these associations have their own constitutions.
Let’s take a closer look at Sri Lanka Rugby. There are specific guidelines for calling a Special General Meeting, guidelines that have been followed religiously over the years. Even though SLR is a registered sports association under the Ministry of Sports, this doesn’t grant the Ministry the authority to bulldoze its way through with such reckless abandon. Sure, World Rugby did suspend SLR and, after hearing grievances from ‘A’ Division clubs, suggested lifting the suspension if certain constitutional amendments were made to give these clubs more voting power.
But reliable sources have just informed The Morning Telegraph that after the newspaper publication calling for a Special General Meeting (SGM), which would be illegal if held according to SLR’s constitution, the former SLR President-Elect Group Captain (Rtd) Nalin De Silva, now working under Minister Fernando’s Ministry of Sports, has been frantically contacting Provincial Union representatives. He has been claiming that the advertised notice is incorrect and that it is for a general meeting and not a SGM. However, he might be a tad too late, as all seven Provincial Unions have already sent letters via registered post indicating their inability to attend the SGM. They have also stated they will not hesitate to take the matter to court if necessary.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports Harin Fernando might have been a young teenager back in 1991 when SLR amended its constitution based on advice from New Zealander Jeff Matherson. Matherson recommended a Provincial Union system to spread rugby island-wide, leading to the formation of seven provincial unions: Western Province, Southern Province, North Western Province, Uva Province, Sabaragamuwa Province, and North Central Province, excluding the Eastern and Northern Provinces. This strategic plan worked wonders for decades, allowing 15 Presidents to be elected under this system. But hey, why let a little thing like decades of effective governance get in the way of a good shake-up?
Now, certain past Presidents and former Ministers of Sport are attempting to hijack SLR through various means, making the previously well-functioning system suddenly problematic for four private ‘A’ Division Clubs. According to sources, the seven provincial unions have officially written to the DG of Sports, highlighting his blatant violation of the SLR constitution by calling for the SGM. These unions have quoted parts of the SLR constitution to emphasize the potential breaches if the SGM proceeds and have expressed their intent to seek legal action to protect SLR.
The Ministry of Sports has no authority to force amendments to the SLR constitution to suit the whims of World Rugby. Even though World Rugby is the parent body, it cannot dictate terms to SLR to amend its constitution solely to appease four ‘A’ Division clubs. But let’s not let that little fact get in the way of progress!
It seems that this time around, the Minister of Sports is receiving legal advice as undercooked as an unbaked pie, leading the Ministry into unproductive legal battles. This is a stark contrast to Minister Fernando’s first stint as the Minister of Sports when he was hailed as a hero for implementing laws to curb match-fixing and betting in sports.
However, the current legal advisor to the Minister of Sports appears to have expertise better suited for legally handling domestic disputes than sports-related matters. His subpar knowledge in this area of sports related matters is proving detrimental to Minister Fernando, who is becoming increasingly unreliable in administering sports affairs.
Maybe the Minister of Sports should sort out his own affairs first before attempting to fix everyone else’s, as it doesn’t take much for someone to fall from grace, or rather, from hero to zero, in the blink of an eye.
