Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake has written to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) categorically denying that any pressure was exerted to any sports body or federation by the Sports Ministry as alleged in its letter to him on April 7, 2015.
The Minister was responding to a two-page letter sent by IOC which asked Sri Lanka to reverse its decision to hold elections under controversial provisions of the Sports Law in order to ensure autonomy and jurisdiction of national sports associations.
Failure to do so would leave Sri Lanka at risk of international status, they warned. This letter was followed by another warning from IOC member, FIFA, the world governing body for football. The letters come in the wake of a Sports Ministry decision to hold elections under controversial provisions of the Sports Law and the subsequent regulations made on January 15, 2013.
In a three-page letter addressed to the IOC and copied to all International Sports Federations and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC), Minister Dissanayake says he would in no way permit any interference or politicisation of any sports body in Sri Lanka.
“We wish to inform you that we will on our part comply with the roadmap created on these new timelines stated above and assure you that the present government of Sri Lanka and the Ministry will ensure and take every possible step to work very closely with the IOC, ASOIF, ANOC, OCA and all other International Sports Federations and that we will no way permit any interference or politicisation of any sports body in Sri Lanka,” the Minister’s reply on April 10, 2015, is said to have stated.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the implementation of the Sports Law and the subsequent regulations to conduct the election of office bearers, Minister Dissanayake says a joint committee appointed to amend the Sports Law and the Regulations to fall in line with the guidelines of the IOC, international bodies has made significant progress.
“This process would take a minimum of the months, till June 30, according to the Committee. Thereafter, the draft has to be sent to the Attorney General and the Legal Draftsman’s Department prior to being placed for debate and approval in parliament.
This process would also take a minimum of 4 to 6 months. Sri Lanka will hold a General Election to elect new members of Parliament by end of June or July and expediting the process of passing the new Sports Law seems impossible due to all these factors,” the Colombo post has quoted the minister.
