In a bold violation of national protocol, the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has dispatched schoolchildren boxers to Thailand, brushing aside mandatory approvals from both the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education raising serious concerns over accountability and legality.
For the second time in as many months, the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has brazenly defied the Ministry of Sports, this time, sending a team of schoolchildren and officials overseas without official clearance. And yet again, Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage whose duty it is to enforce the law stands by, spineless and silent, making a mockery of his own office and the country’s sports regulations.
Last month, the BASL unilaterally sent a contingent to the Seychelles. No Sports Ministry approval. No accountability. And when they returned, Gamage did absolutely nothing. Not even a reprimand. That inaction set a dangerous precedent, a green light for others to break the rules with impunity.
Now, emboldened by the minister’s weakness, BASL President Anuruddha Bandara has doubled down on his blatant disregard for the law and for basic governance. Eighteen boxers and five officials including thirteen schoolchildren have been flown out to Thailand for the Asian U19 and U22 Boxing Championships without Sports Ministry clearance.
A Slap in the Face to the Prime Minister and the Rule of Law
This time, Bandara didn’t just snub the Sports Ministry he outright disregarded the authority of the Ministry of Education, which falls directly under none other than Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya herself. Despite the Ministry explicitly stating that Sports Ministry approval was a mandatory prerequisite for any schoolchildren traveling abroad, Bandara bulldozed ahead, dismissing both protocol and the Prime Minister’s oversight with shocking audacity. It was a blatant act of defiance and disrespect not just toward regulations, but toward the highest office in the country.
Adding to the chaos, two officials were rushed to Thailand early this morning again, without clearance just to secure a spot in the official draw. The rest of the team is now mid-air, expected to land in Bangkok this afternoon.
It’s not just illegal. It’s arrogant, calculated, and offensive. The BASL doesn’t care about rules, ministries, or even the dignity of the children they supposedly represent.
World Boxing Membership? Not Even That.
Let’s not forget, the BASL is still not even a recognized member of World Boxing, the legitimate international body overseeing the event. This fact alone should disqualify them from sending a national team. Yet, here they are operating in the shadows, unchecked.
According to insiders, the Ministry of Sports had refused approval because of BASL’s incomplete paperwork, non-membership with World Boxing, and the sheer last-minute chaos of the application. But what’s the point of a rejection if it’s simply ignored?
Minister Gamage: The Puppet in Bandara’s Boxing Ring
All signs point to a disturbing reality: Minister Gamage has been reduced to being Bandara’s puppet. Time and again, he has allowed this rogue federation to bulldoze through protocol without consequence. Whether out of fear, incompetence, or something far worse his silence has now become complicity.
If Gamage has any dignity left, he need only look back to December 2017, when then-Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara boldly ordered nine national cricketers off a plane bound for India. Why? Because they hadn’t received ministerial clearance. That is what enforcement looks like. That is what leadership looks like.
So what will Sunil Kumara Gamage do now? Will he follow Jayasekara’s example, or continue to be remembered as the minister who let the rule of law in sports crumble under his watch?
Because right now, the law is dead, the ministers are mute, and boxing has officially become a lawless circus.
