Political interference now hits the track as high profile military men don’t see eye to eye ahead of election.
Political pressure will see presidential candidate Maj. Gen. Daya Ratnayake withdrawing his nomination ahead of Sunday’s Annual General Meeting of the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka, Ceylon Today learns.
Maj.Gen. Ratnayake is pitted against Maj.Gen. Palitha Fernando whose nomination was rejected by the sports minister last year due to several allegations, but the latest turn of events will leave the four-times head Fernando uncontested.
However, Gen. Ratnayake, a respected top military officer neither denied nor admitted when questioned whether he has been asked to back down. “These are rumors. Let’s wait till Sunday,” Gen. Ratnayake said.
But sources confirmed that Ratnayake will withdraw his nomination on the request of sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage within the next 48 hours, allowing Gen. Fernando a two-year term as new head of the country’s premier Olympic sport.
Ratnayake was elected president of the association last year in a bid to inject life into track and field sports that had been devoid of international success after the retirement of elite athletes.
He was eyeing a second term but now political pressure is on the verge of cutting short his athletics vision.
