In a shocking demonstration of unfairness, Dr. Maiya Gunasekara, Chairman of the National Sports Council, disregarded blatant flaws in the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka’s selection process for the upcoming Olympic boxing trials. Furthermore, he denied two boxers a fair trial, seemingly to conceal the true extent of the debacle or pave the way for a potential ‘partial’ boycott enforced by the BASL. This move, which should have been made transparent to Minister of Sports Harin Fernando, raises serious concerns about Dr. Maiya’s motives and the integrity of the boxing selection process.
How amusing it is to witness the Minister, renowned for his shrewd appointments, now unwittingly portrayed as a gullible pawn, a court jester or even perhaps a circus clown, all thanks to the manipulative machinations of his trusted confidant and the Chairman of the National Sports Selection Council, Dr. Maiya Gunasekara.
For almost two decades, the sport of Boxing in Sri Lanka has operated in obscurity, shielded from scrutiny by a media landscape that has either ignored its challenges or actively enforced a blackout on coverage of the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL). In this time, the BASL’s accomplishments have been scant, with little or nothing much to boast about amid a veil of silence.
President BASL’s boastful past
However, it was earlier today that a state Sunday newspaper published a story, where a boastful President of the BASL Dian Gomes is quoted as saying “Sri Lanka boxing has a proud history producing several Olympians and the last Sri Lankan to fight in the ring at the Games was Anuruddha Ratnayake in 2008. Sri Lanka also won three Commonwealth Games medals in 2018 that gave a good boost to the sport.”
Gomes is further quoted as saying, that he wishes to turn the sport of Boxing in Sri Lanka into a platform such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise based lucrative cricket tournament taking place in India.
But what Gomes failed to mention is that in his 20 years that he held the reins as President BASL, Sri Lanka managed to field just one boxer, in fact just one boxer in the last 56 years at the Olympic Games. He also failed to mention the famous story of how he once hailed Manju Wanniarachchi a Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist, as virtually his own creation and whom he subsequently discarded like a hot potato, no sooner Sri Lanka was stripped of its Gold Medal after boxer Wanniarachchi was found guilty of doping.
Gloves-off sideshow leaves 11 boxers floored
At this very moment, as we go into print, the BASL is even incapable of fielding a team of 13 boxers (7 male & 6 female) to fill in the respective weight classes that are offering quota places at the next month’s Paris 2024 Boxing Trials to be held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The BASL is sending just two boxers that they claim were selected after the Sri Lanka Boxing Nationals were held between the 14th and 17th of January 2024.
Flawed Boxing Selection Trials: NSSC and Ministry of Sports fails to take action
Even this conducted selection has now been identified as one that was conducted in a manner that warrants an immediate investigation by the Ministry of Sports and especially the National Sports Selection Committee headed by Gen. Shavendra Silva.
Stated below is The Morning Telegraph’s findings after completing its investigation into the held boxing selection trials.
1. Two officials namely the Chairman National Boxing Selection Committee Gen. (Rtd) Jagath Jayasuriya and National Boxing Selection Member Udeni Kiridena’s participation in the selection process blatantly flouts the country’s Sports Law Act No.25 of 1973
Here are the reasons.
Gen.(Rtd) Jagath Jayasuriya was appointed by the Minister of Sports Harin Fernando as a Member of the National Sports Selection Committee in late 2023, despite him being the Chairman of the BASL Selection Committee.
The Sri Lanka National Boxing Tournament was held on the 14th -17th January 2024 and was also used as the trials for the upcoming Paris 2024 Boxing Olympic Qualifying Tournament scheduled to be held from the 25th to 2nd June 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand.
According to the Sports Law it is illegal for Gen.(Rtd) Jayasuriya to be holding both positions, that as the Chairman Boxing Selection Committee and also as a Member of the National Sports Council at the same time.
2. In BASL Boxing Selector Udeni Kiridena’s case, it is illegal for him to hold a position in any capacity, in any sport association, after he was suspended along with 36 other boxing officials at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, for allegations of committing fraud and corruption.
The country’s Sports Law Act No.25 of 1973 states that an official suspended by a regional or international sports body is subsequently not permitted to hold office in any local sports association as long as the suspension is still effective.
If Chairman BASL Boxing Selection has resigned – It opens another can of worms
However, after a recent series of articles were published by The Morning Telegraph, and according to unconfirmed reports, it has now surfaced that Gen. (Rtd) Jayasuriya has supposedly tendered his resignation as the Chairman BASL Selection Committee in December 2023.
If that is true, then it opens another can of worms.
If he had resigned, then the recent Sri Lanka National Boxing Tournament, serving as the Olympic boxing trials in Bangkok, Thailand, reveals troubling discrepancies. The absence of a BASL Chairman of Boxing Selection during the event raises questions about the integrity of the selection process. Moreover, the presence of Udeni Kiridena, despite his suspension by the IOC and violation of the country’s Sports Law, adds another layer of concern.
Possible proof that Gen.(Rtd) Jayasuriya did not resign as Chairman Boxing Selection Head
As per the Sri Lanka Sports Law, if Gen.(Rtd) Jagath Jayasuriya had in fact resigned as the Chairman of the BASL Selection Committee in December 2023, then his vacancy has not yet been proposed by the BASL to filled. If it did, then the Ministry of Sports and also the NSSC needs to be informed of it.
The reasons for this not taking place can be confirmed because there was only one BASL Executive Committee Meeting held in February 2024, where there is no minute or even any mention of Gen.(Rtd) Jayasuriya’s resignation.
Further, the next BASL Executive Committee Meeting is scheduled to be held on the 22nd of April 2024 (Tomorrow), and one of the items mentioned in the circulated agenda of items for discussion at this meeting state’s ‘Nomination for the Selection Committee for 2024/2025″.
According to reliable information received from within the BASL, that item up for discussion at the Ex-Co Meeting is to inform the BASL Membership of Boxing Selector Udeni Kiridena’s removal and also of Gen. (Rtd) Jagath Jayasuriya’s resignation, which had happened apparently over four months ago.
So, what’s with all this fuss suddenly?
Could it possibly imply that these two officials, who conveniently occupied unauthorized positions as boxing selection officials, handpicked the boxers Rukmal Prasanna and Eranga Mihiran as per BASL’s wishes, and are now gracefully stepping aside, as if everything’s just peachy and all set to usher in replacements?
What then about the two discarded boxers and their letters of appeal?
What about the other two boxers Nadeeka Ranasinghe and Niraj Wijewardena whom they discarded disdainfully just to satisfy the whims and fancies of the BASL President Gomes?
Gen. (Rtd) Jayasuriya for the record discarded them twice.
The first time he discarded them was as the Chairman BASL Selection Committee and once again, this time, as Minister of Sports Harin Fernando’s appointed Member of National Sports Council.
Dr. Maiya shoots down Sports Minister’s trust
It’s a tale as old as time, where alliances forged in a prestigious institution pave the way for deception and manipulation. Dr. Maiya Gunasekara, alongside the BASL President Dian Gomes and Gen (Rtd) Jayasuriya, form a formidable trio, perhaps who could be named the Royal Brigade, that has mastered the art of hoodwinking.
Their conniving ways have even led to backstabbing the Chairman of the NSSC, General Shavendra Silva, leaving a trail of deceit in their wake.
In this elaborate scheme, they’ve managed to make a mockery of the Sports Minister, Harin Fernando, painting him as a clueless figure or perhaps even a public fool in the eyes of the discerning sports community.
Finally, in a heart-wrenching turn of events, Sri Lanka finds itself on the losing end as 11 vacant slots for potential Olympic boxing athletes are carelessly tossed aside.
This missed opportunity not only undermines the spirit of gender equality championed by the Olympic Games for the first time at this year’s Olympics, but also squanders the chance where over 700 athletes from around the globe will be sent by other countries to compete on the world stage.
While other nations seize the moment to send a diverse array of participants, Sri Lanka’s decision to send only two male boxers leaves 11 slots vacant, echoing a missed chance for sporting excellence and national pride.
Some even label all these findings as IBA’s shot at the IOC and a hint of a subtle ‘partial’ boycott by Sri Lanka at the Olympic Games, orchestrated by an IBA Board Director who also happens to be Sri Lanka’s Boxing Chief.
Trust the Paris 2024 Olympic Boxing Unit (PBU) and the IOC are watching closely.
