Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando re-entered the athletics administration as he was elected uncontested president when his closest rival and former president Maj. Gen. Daya Ratnayake withdrew his nomination last morning.
Gen. Fernando who was denied a straight fifth term last year when he was refused nomination by the sports ministry citing various allegations was hell bent on making a come-back this year and Ratnayake’s withdrawal earned him an uncontested two-year term.
Ratnayake who was brought in as a compromise candidate last year to revive athletics along with Rear Admiral Shamal Fernando as secretary in a politically motivated election were hardly effective which forced the athletics fraternity to go back to their tested formula.
Veteran athletics secretary Prema Pinnewale who was narrowly beaten by Fernando last year was elected with a majority of 16 votes this year. Pinnewale had 62 votes to that of Fernando’s 46, as the athletics fraternity revived their faith in Sri Lanka’s representative at the Asian Athletics Association to take the sport forward.
Gen. Fernando speaking to the press said that he was blessed with a very good team and hopes to drive the game forward.
“This is a very good team and our intention is to take the game forward,” Fernando said soon after the election.
Pinnewale said that reaching out to districts is the need of the hour to drive the sport forward.
“We should go to districts and develop those and if we could conduct at least a novice’s championships at district level, we will be able to identify new talent and build a good team, said Pinnewale.
Meanwhile businessman Kiran Atapattu was elected uncontested as treasurer while Saman Kumara was elected uncontested as the recorder. Oliver Fernando was elected as vice treasurer with 54 votes while Bernard Perera (62 votes) beat Veeman Premathilake (46 votes) for the post of assistant secretary.
Meanwhile Sunil Jayaweera won the highest number of votes to be the senior vice president with 55 votes followed by Susanthika Jayasinghe 53 votes, T Devendra (49 votes), Ajith Naragala (46 votes) , S.P.Madugalle (44 votes), G.L.S.Perera (44 votes) and H.W.Nimalsiri (42 votes).
Interestingly former Asian Games medallist Sugath Thilakaratne could muster just three votes as he failed in his second attempt to enter the athletics executive committee as a vice-president.
