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| Sunday, 29 May 2005 |
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SLRFU Council puts the record straight by Lal Gunasekera The Council of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) has now thought it fit to make their annual statement of accounts "more simple" and a committee was appointed last morning (Saturday) to look into a better way to make it more informative, as the "controversial" statement of accounts presented at its annual general meeting last February was "complicated". They comprise Shantha Kurumbalapitiya (Treasurer), Dilroy Fernando (Secretary), Kumar Abeywardene, Neil Wijeratne and the SLRFU's Auditors (B. R. de Silva and Company). This all arose with numerous individuals questioning the previous SLRFU administration of Mohan Balasuriya for an "unaccounted" sum of Rs. 7,505,209/-. The Council had met last morning at the CH & FC boardroom and met the media in the afternoon to give an explanation. SLRFU Treasurer, Shantha Kurumbalapitiya, who even held this post during Balasuriya's tenure, made an explanation to say that there was no such thing as misappropriation of Rs. 7,505,209/-, but only a case of "misunderstanding", the complicated presentation, which is to be made "simple" from the current year. He said that this sum was mostly spent on "foreign and local tours, promote rugby, administration and TV sponsorships" plus various other activities. He said that the SLRFU had spent Rs. 2.8 million on the telecast of matches on MTV in 2004 and on ITN in 2003, but this year (2005), Caltex Lubricants and Singer (Sri Lanka) Limited had come forward to sponsor 10 club and school games. It was also disclosed that the so-called proposer and seconder of the annual accounts at the February annual general meeting (Lionel Almeida and Y. C. Chang) had denied that the minutes taken down by the previous Secretary (Iswan Omar) was incorrect. This was "withdrawn" by the Council yesterday, where it was proposed and seconded by Kumar Abeywardene and Arjun Dharmadasa respectively. So, finally, it's all's well that ends well. Wrong procedure The Regional Development Manager for Asia of the International Rugby Board (IRB), Gerard Gallahar, disclosed at yesterday's media briefing that the previous SLRFU administration had not followed the proper procedure when Fijian Joshua Kala, who represented CR & FC, assaulted referee Aruna Jayasekera, in the second-round game of the Caltex League at Havelock Park. Kala "vanished" from the country on the night of the incident helped by a fellow player of CR itself before the police arrested him for assault. Referee Jayasekera had made a complaint to the local police. The SLRFU had banned Kala from playing ever again in Sri Lanka after the Disciplinary Committee found the Fijian guilty. But, according to Gallaher, the SLRFU had sent the documents to the wrong authorities instead of sending it to him (Gallaher). He said that the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU), Fiji RFU, Thailand RFU (Kala was coaching the Thai national side) have now been informed of this incident by the IRB and that he (Joshua Kala) has been banned from playing. However, it's understood that Kala continues as a coach in Fiji. Why Kala is authorised to even engage in coaching is very strange indeed and Gallaher was not in a position to give a "straight answer" to this question raised by this writer. However, Gallaher, says that Kala should be given the "right to appeal". Neil in committee of Rugby Hall of Fame Neil Wijeratne, a former recorder of the SLRFU, now representing both the Indian and Pakistan RFUs in Sri Lanka, has been honoured by being the only Asian to be appointed into the Screening Committee of the International Rugby Hall of Fame to nominate rugby personalities for the 2005 awards. This committee comprises about 20 to 25 persons. Yesterday's media briefing was attended by the SLRFU President, Priyantha Ekanayake, Michael Jayasekera (Deputy President), Dilroy Fernando (Secretary_, Shantha Kurumbalapitiya (Treasurer) among others. Mallikaarachchi leads Sri Lanka Kandy Sports Club's Sajith Mallikaarachchi has been picked by the national selectors headed by Dr. Maiya Gunasekerea to lead Sri Lanka in the RWC qualifying games against Thailand on June 4 at Suphanburi, Thailand and also against Singapore at Longden Place on June 25. SLRFU President, Priyantha Ekanayake, said that the team too was selected, but would be released "in a day or two" after obtaining approval from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It was also revealed that the 34-member pool is paid a monthly remuneration, but the sum was not divulged. The sponsor of the Sri Lanka side is Singer (Sri Lanka) Limited. It was also disclosed that the SLRFU has employed six technical officers,
five development officers and 12 "cadet coaches" and that the 2006 Rugby
Asiad would staged in Sri Lanka and this would be ratified at the general
meeting of the ARFU in Guam next month (June). |
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