Caltex assured that League and Clifford Cup rugby tourneys will be played

By Jatila KARAWITA

Kishu Gomes - CEO and MD of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PlC.

RUGBY: Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC, chief sponsor of Caltex League and Clifford Cup Knock-Out Rugby Tournaments for the past eight years. Kishu Gomes says that his company has been given a firm assurance that the two major domestic rugby tournaments will be conducted smoothly in the forthcoming season by the Competent Authority of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) - Dr. Maiya Gunasekera in light of the recent turmoil at the union headquarters.

"Dr. Maiya Gunasekera and Kiran Atapattu have spoken to us", he told Sunday Observer.

"They gave their assurance and guarantee to conduct the two main inter-club rugby tournaments sans a hitch. That is what we wanted from them for an assurance that rugby should not be made to suffer due to the ineptness some administrators said Gomes who has been the livewire in forging a successful sponsorship deal between his company, a local lubricant giant and the game's local controlling body.

"Lately, there has been much uncertainty regarding the tournaments. Even as a rugby fan, I too, wondered where the game was heading with one controversy taking precedence over another", add Gomes. He said what is important is that none of the rugby stakeholders should have any doubts regarding how the game is administered. The stakeholders consists of the players, administrators, sponsors, media and last, but not least the spectators."

Caltex boss Gomes, an avid follower of the game both here and aborad, noted that whoever is appointed to govern the sport will need to win back the confidence of all clubs, if the game is to avoid hitting rough waters.

He revealed that in the not too distant past, rugby has had to weather numerous storms mainly due to various officials pulling in different directions and working to different agendas with rugby not getting the top priority.

However, the Chevron Lubricants Lanka Limited, CEO cum MD expressed his satisfaction at a committee selected by Dr. Maiya Gunasekera comprising of ex-national caps to look into the aspects of marketing and sponsorship.

Former Sri Lanka rugby stars, retired DIG Daya Jayasundera, Ajith Abeyratne, former Air Force Group Captain Nalin de Silva, Rohan Guneratne, Priyantha Ekanayake, Michael Jayasekera, Hisham Adeen, Saman Jayasinghe, Asoka Jayasena, Imthisham Marikkar and Lasitha Guneratne are to form that committee.

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Kishu Gomes, stressed that his company will be keeping a close tab on the developments at the SLRFU headquarters, following the recent removal from office of its Council by the Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge. Minister Lokuge's decision to dissolve the SLRFU Council came about in the wake of the resignation of its President Senior DIG Nimal Lewke and its Secretary SP Duke Hamid.

Senior DIG Lewke resigned precisely a month before his two-year tenure was to expire on February 21 while Hamid threw in the towel's couple of days earlier following press allegations that he was not suited to hold office in keeping with the constitution of the SLRFU.

Minister Gamini Lokuge had earlier appointed ex-IGP Indra de Silva and former Brigadier C. Thurairjah to look into a complaint lodged by Notional Sports Council member and former Sri Lanka `lock forward' Lasitha Guneratne that the SLRFU Council comprised of officials who have got elected through the back door or in other words directly violating the constitution of the Rugby Union which states that officials holding portfolios of the Council must have either played representative rugby or `A' division domestic rugby in order to fit the bill.

Gomes lastly added that Chevron Lubricants Lanka, will be keeping their fingers crossed in the context of rugby being at cross roads in this country, but confirmed that his firm will not pull out on its responsibility, but will remain as the SLRFU's flagship sponsor of league and Clifford Cup Tournaments till its 10-year sponsorship runs out next year.

Dr. Maiya Gunasekera had earlier given a firm commitment to the rugby fraternity that he will look to `iron out' any discrepancies or loopholes in the existing voting system of the SLRFU and take all possible measures to hold its eagerly awaited AGM before March 31. Earlier the 2009 SLRFU AGM was scheduled to be held on February 21. The 2009 inter-club rugby season is expected to kick-off on February 7 and 8 with the first-leg of Club Sevens at Nittawela while the second-leg is to be worked off on February 28 and March 1 at Longden Place.