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| Sunday, 20 March 2005 |
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Straight talk by Lal Gunesekera Loss of Rupees 7.5 million, who is answerable? Priyantha Ekanayake is a very brave individual to have taken over the reigns of an organisation with a loss of Rs. 7.5 million left by his predecessor Mohan Balasuriya, who ran the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) like a military detachment with no person in the Council willing to question him on many matters. The results are seen what he has behind for Ekanayake. Now, the incoming President has to bridge the deficit and also attract various sponsors (the Caltex sponsorship package ends this year) and run the Rugby at a profit if possible. True, Ekanayake, too should take the blame for this sad state of affairs in the SLRFU as he was Deputy President under Balasuriya. However, Ekanayake must be given an opportunity to try and "turn things around", and I sincerely hope that the present Council members (some of whome were even there during Balasuriya's reign) gives him a helping hand. When Balasuriya took over the reigns two years ago, he said to congratulate him at the end of his term. Does he deserve any congratulations now? Certainly not. Ekanayake has some plans to turn the game around to what it was when Sri Lanka were within the first four or five in Asia and had even beaten Chinese Taipei. He is honest when he says that the standard has deteriorated to such an extent that even China has beaten us and it will not take long for the minnows like India and Pakistan to do so in the near future, unless drastic action is taken. He says that the biggest problem is that there is no coaching structure in place and this is one of the main reasons why Sri Lanka fails at international level. Sri Lanka needs a coach who has the knowledge in various areas of the game (attack, defence etc.), and that the SLRFU will discuss and negotiate with the International Rugby Board (IRB) when they meet in Dublin next month to get their assistance in getting down a foreign coach from the southern hemisphere. Ekanayake is candid when he says that he cannot think of any person in Sri Lanka who could take the country to the "next level". He says that there are good coaches, but they are not "good enough". He is looking for a sponsor for the national side who will then be contracted and paid an allowance. Where New Zealander George Simpkin is concerned, it reminds me of the lyrics of the song by John Denver - "All my bags are packed and I am ready to go". His contract with the SLRFU expires in the first week of next month (April), but he has sent in his resignation and is out of the country at the moment. He was paid US Dollars 4000/= a month. Nearly 50 per cent has been paid (according to Treasurer Shantha Kurumbalapitiya), but yet a sum of Rs. 2.3 million is due to Simpkin was "restricted in many ways" with his land in every pudding, but the Kiwi is to be requested to stay back until Sri Lanka plays Thailand (June 4 in Bangkok) and Singapore (June 25 in Colombo in the IRB Triangular - RWC 2007 qualifying games. C. P. Abeygunawardene is to be brought in as a Consultant Coach, and even former rugby strongman Y. C. Chang is attempting to bring down the Public Wanderers from England in June. Ekanayake is anxious that Sri Lanka excels at the Asiad to be staged in Colombo next year. That is his main target. Season to change Ekanayake is also trying to change the local rugby season from next year (2006). He wants it to start in October and end in February the following year. He says one of the reasons is that clubs lose top schoolboy players due to studies etc nowadays, and also there won't be any clashes at school and club games, which might get spectators interested in the game again. On the topic of demotion/promotion in the Club 'A' Division, Ekanayake says that there are different schools of thought to this suggestion, but admits that certain clubs are not worthy to play in the big league. To the financial assistance given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the SLRFU's Treasurer Kurumbalapitiya said that they used to get Rs. 3 million a year, but received only Rs. 1 million in 2003. However the SLRFU did not get a 'red cent' from the Ministry last year (2004) and even this year (2005), they have yet to receive funds. The SLRFU have also advertised the post of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). According to Ekanayake, there have been six applicants (name not disclosed), but is to be short listed to three "very soon". He says that the CEO may not necessarily be an ex-player, but should be a good administrator and marketing specialist and will be paid a package of Rs. 60,000/= per month. The earlier CEO, Chandrashan Perera, was given an attractive package of Rs. 150,000/= and has yet to submit "satisfactory statement accounts totalling a sum of Rs. 500,000/=" outstanding since December 2003. B. R. de Silva and Company (Chartered Accountants) in their annual report states that the "Total expenditure of the Union has exceeded its income by Rs. 7,505,209/= during the year ending December 31, 2004 and that the Union's current liabilities exceeded its current assets by Rs. 6,691,487/=. These facts raise substantial doubt whether the Union will be able to continue as a going concern, unless continuous financial assistance is received from the relevant funding institutions. The recovery of debts and receivables amounting to Rs. 934,393/= is doubtful". However, the report from the Auditors state that the Union has maintained proper books of accounts. What a headache for Priyantha Ekanayake to cure! |
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