Swindlers ate sports

Ranatunga rues fair-play was corrupted to the bone as officials booked their positions buying off 'hungry' ministers:

Former World Cup winning cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga in what may be seen as a brutal dig at an appallingly corrupt sports system in the country, castigated administrators who have enriched themselves and destroyed a culture.

Ranatunga fired the salvos when he spoke at the National Independent Sports Foundation and Save the Sports ceremony organized by the Old Anandians Fellowship on Thursday.

"They (sports administrators) go behind ministers and spend on their behalf to hold office in sports controlling bodies. The minister has the power to appoint the right and capable people. But suitable persons cannot spend on ministers and they don't feed them (ministers) and that's why they (suitable persons) can't hold office", Ranatunga declared.

He cited the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA), which was outlawed by the world governing body, as a classic example of what has happened to sports.

"Look at what happened to badminton. I won't be surprised if cricket too ends up in the same way", warned Ranatunga.

"I remember a former (sports) Minister name Sri Lanka Cricket as the most corrupt public institution in the country. Today when the minister appoints an Interim Committee to run cricket with a treasurer of the former Board how can we trust all this". He accused past governments of creating the foundation that led to the destruction of accountability in sports that resulted in the sportsman losing out and the administrator enriching his lifestyle. "Sri Lanka became famous because of sports. Our kids are truly talented from birth and this is something that I have seen not only in Colombo but also in the outstations. But all these talents have gone waste because of the unwanted political interference in sports. To get into the team all you have to do is go behind a politician. They (incompetent sportsmen) found short cuts and there are plenty of examples", said Ranatunga.

Being the only sportsman in the country who rose to the ranks of a high profile Minister but fought a losing battle to clean up the rot in sports, Ranatunga claimed that a former Sri Lanka Cricket administration had swindled the country for billions of rupees in their quest to prepare three stadiums for the 2011 World Cup that was jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"With the money they spent on three stadiums, we could have constructed an additional three venues. Stadiums that were built benefitted politicians who robbed through the expenditure set aside to build these stadiums", said Ranatunga referring to venues in Hambantota, Pallekelle in Kandy and renovation of the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

"Most sports officials have just one motive and that is to boost their egos and make a name for themselves while the sportsman languishes", charged Ranatunga. He said that another episode that worried him was to see a little girl who returned to the country with a medal travel home in public transport while government vehicles were abused by the privileged.