Latiff’s bombshell letter tears the mask off Priyantha Ekanayake’s power games
The lid has been blown wide open on Sri Lanka Rugby’s latest scandal. In a blistering exchange of letters, Retired Senior DIG M.R. Latiff, Chairman of the Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby, has exposed the shadowy maneuverings of NSC Chairman Priyantha Ekanayake and the brazen arrogance of Asanga Seneviratne. What should have been a straightforward process of organizing the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series has instead revealed a cesspool of political interference, backdoor deals, and outright manipulation.
Latiff’s revelations leave no room for doubt: Priyantha Ekanayake, tasked only with advising the Sports Minister, has far overstepped his mandate, handpicking committees, twisting procedures, and opening the door for Asanga Seneviratne to claw his way back into power. The scandal is not just about rugby; it’s about governance, accountability, and the brazen hijacking of sport for personal gain.
At the center of the storm stand two men: Priyantha Ekanayake, current Chairman of the National Sports Council (NSC), and Darshana Waragoda, Private Secretary to the Minister of Sports. According to leaked correspondence to The Morning Telegraph, both were instrumental in pushing through the controversial appointment of a Tournament Committee chaired by none other than former Sri Lanka Rugby President Asanga Seneviratne, a man whose return to the fold raises eyebrows and questions alike.
A Committee Born in Shadows
The appointment letter, issued by the Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby under the name of its Chairman, Retired Senior DIG M.R. Latiff, confirmed the new Tournament Committee:
- Asanga Seneviratne – Chairman
- Rohan Abeykoon – Member
- Inthisham Marikkar – Member
- Hassan Singhawansa – Member
- Comdr. U.D.H. Hettiarachchi – Member
- Udaya Jayasundara – Member
- Romario De Silva – Member
This committee was charged with overseeing sponsorships, partnerships, and financial oversight of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series, a lucrative and influential position by any standard. The problem? By law, it is not the duty of the NSC Chairman to make such appointments. His role is to advise the Minister of Sports, not to handpick committees as though running a private club. Over 70 sports associations fall under the Ministry’s purview, yet Priyantha Ekanayake has seemingly seized the right to do as he pleases.
Cracks Within the NSC
The chaos under Ekanayake’s stewardship is not new. Recently, Roshan Mahanama, the respected former Sri Lankan cricketer and retired ICC match referee, resigned from the NSC citing “personal reasons.” Yet whispers within the sporting fraternity suggest he was disgusted with the way Ekanayake runs the council, flaunting sports law and showing open disdain for governance norms. In hindsight Mahanama should have stayed and Ekanayake should have departed.
Another controversy surrounds Ekanayake’s close rugby associate, Rohan Abeykoon, who continues to sit on the NSC despite being previously exposed for breaking sports law. Even worse, NSC member Shanitha Fernando is now tied to the scandal-ridden SLR Presidential candidate Pavithra “Pavi” Fernando, having been named as his Deputy President, a revelation that deepens suspicions of a politically driven rugby coup.
Asanga’s Arrogance
When Asanga Seneviratne received his letter of appointment, his response was dripping with arrogance. In a curt letter, he refused the position, claiming no one had consulted him and blasting the lack of coordination and efficiency within the Ministry. While couching his rejection in the language of concern for Sri Lanka Rugby, his tone betrayed a man who believed he was above the system itself.
SDIG (Rtd) Latiff Strikes Back, Exposes Ekanayake and Puts Seneviratne in His Place
But Latiff, Chairman of the Working Task Force, would not let Asanga’s arrogance pass without a fight. In a blistering reply, he made it clear that the appointments were made at the request of Priyantha Ekanayake and Darshana Waragoda, men who had assured the WTF that the nominees, including Asanga, had already consented.
Latiff’s letter cut through the charade:
“You have cast irrelevant aspersions to the appointment. The appointment was made on the requests and recommendations of Mr. Priyantha Ekanayake, Chairman, National Sports Council, and Mr. Darshana Waragoda, Private Secretary to the Minister of Sports, who assured that the appointments… were recommended after a meeting at the Ministry.”
In one stroke, Latiff exposed the manipulations: the NSC Chairman and the Minister’s own Private Secretary had orchestrated a scheme to reinsert Asanga Seneviratne into Sri Lanka Rugby’s power structure through the backdoor.
04 September 2025
Mr. Asanga Seneviratne
Dear Mr. Seneviratne,
Re: Appointment to the Tournament Committee for Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series – Sept / Oct 2025
Reference is regrettably drawn to your letter, dated 04 September 2025, in response to the Letter of Appointment by Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby dated 01 September 2025 regarding your appointment as Chairman of the Tournament Committee for the above tournaments.
Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby is pleased to accept your non – acceptance of the appointment.
You have cast irrelevant aspersions to the appointment. The appointment was made on the requests and recommendations of Mr. Priyantha Ekanayake, Chairman, National Sports Council, and Mr. Darshana Waragoda, Private Secretary to Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, who assured that, the appointments to the above Tournament Committee were recommended after a Meeting at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports where prior consents of the respective Nominees were procured.
After due process, Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby unanimously approved the recommendations propelling the issuance of the respective Letters of Appointments.
For your education and information, Members of the Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby are not eligible to serve in Other Committees since they are the Governing Body including Oversights.
However, the Executive Director of Sri Lanka Rugby, being a paid employee of Sri Lanka Rugby (and not an Official appointed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports), is eligible to function in such Committees as an Ex-Officio Member, and coordinate all afffairs of such Committees.
Trust this letter clarifies your concerns, and strongly advise you to raise your queries on your appointment to the above Committee with Chairman, National Sports Council, and Private Secretary to the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, who recommended you having informed the Working Task for Sri Lanka Rugby, that you were aware of the forthcoming appointment.
Regards,
Deshabandu M. R. Latiff,
Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (Retired)Chairman – Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby
A Minister on a Joyride
The scandal also raises questions about the Minister of Sports himself. Has he been misled, manipulated, or willingly complicit? For now, it appears he has been taken on a “jolly good joy ride” by Priyantha Ekanayake, who operates with unchecked freedom, appointing, manipulating, and maneuvering without accountability.
History offers a chilling parallel. Former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe once found himself in the same trap when he attempted to crack down on Sri Lanka Cricket, backed by his then NSC Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga. Instead of reform, Ranasinghe ended up being booted out of his ministerial role, betrayed by the very man meant to advise him.
Today, Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage seems to be walking headfirst into the very same trap that once cost Roshan Ranasinghe his ministerial chair. With Priyantha Ekanayake now the poster boy for controversy, manipulation, and blatant breaches of sports law, the warning signs could not be clearer. If Gamage fails to sack his NSC Chairman, he may soon find himself sharing Ranasinghe’s humiliating fate. And if the Minister refuses to act, the onus will fall on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to wield the axe whether it be on Ekanayake, Gamage, or both. As one furious rugby follower summed it up with biting honesty: “It’s high time Priyantha Ekanayake resign and bugger off, at least for the sake of rugby in Sri Lanka to move forward.”
This ugly scenario started when I pre -precided as central province president rugby and that dirty owner of Kandy s.usig his political powers and money broke the traditions of SLR and appointed an outsider to the post of SLR.president and I told them to write it down in black and white and told them that it’s going to be the end of national rugby.After sometime back they make Priyanta Eakanayake and his team which ruined SLR.I can’t understand how AKD.appointed this culprit.R.Mahanama has realised that this stupid council is on the wrong track.and I am sure Snr.gentlemen Latif and Marso will never give in.