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| Sunday, 31 July 2005 |
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Sports |  |
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Straight talk by Lal Gunesekera Gangodawila suspended, but no action against Nawaloka, why? The much awaited decision by the Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) on the "Gangodawila Affair" became a reality at last after over two and a half months with its Executive Committee reaching a decision to suspend Gangodawila from playing Mercantile cricket for a period of two years. Whether this decision reached by the Exco is right or wrong, is debatable. Here is a cricketer who was employed by two establishments (Nawaloka and Cricket-Aid), but was selected by the former to represent them in the MCA 'B' division final against Seylan Bank at the Saravanamuttu Stadium on May 7. Who is guilty? Is it Gangodawila or Nawaloka? In my opinion, it is Nawaloka who should have been found fault with and penalised. I also find it very strange why the MCA authorities (Tournament Committee, Disciplinary Committee or even the Exco) did not call Gangodawila himself or Cricket-Aid for any inquiry. Why? As I have stated in my previous column, the MCA seems to be run by a bunch of jokers, but I will go one step further to state that they are a bunch of puppets whose "strings" are being controlled by a certain individual, who takes all the decisions. He seems to be determined to occupy the top slot that his father held in the MCA many decades ago, but his father is a respected and honest personality. The arrogant President of the MCA, Adel Hashim, is not only an employee of Kelsey Homes (a subsidiary of Janashakthi Insurance), but also a member of the Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) headed by Nawaloka's Jayantha Dharmadasa. Now, do you get me? It certainly looks as if Mr. Hashim is trying to please two "masters". I leave it for the readers to judge for themselves. Howszat? The new Media Manager of SLC, Asoka Pathirane, who was brought in to replace Ray Illangakoon, whose contract was not extended by the Interim Committee, is also employed in the Sales Department of Colombo Hilton. Gangodawila was found guilty of being employed by two establishments at the same time and penalised, but now, what will SLC do? Pathirane says that he works for SLC in a "honorary" capacity and does not get "a red cent", but he enjoys a mobile phone and other perks supplied by SLC. Does the management of Colombo Hilton permit one of their employees to work in another establishment on a "honorary" basis or otherwise? Where is our money? Galle CC cricketers are a disappointed lot. They have yet to receive their match fees for the 2004-05 season of the Premier Championship. SLC distributes Rs. 1.8 million per club for the season and each player is entitled for a minimum sum of Rs. 1000 per day. What is strange is that the President of the Galle CC is none other than Jayantha Dharmadasa who heads the Interim Committee of SLC appointed by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Jeevan Kumaratunga in March this year. Galle CC is involved in another controversy. They were down to play Lankan SC in Galle in the ongoing under-23 Championship, but the match was not played at all. The tournament rules are very clear - no postponement will be allowed. In the same week (July 16, 17), Kurunegala Youth CC were to play the Sebastianites at Kurunegala. They were unable to find a ground in their home town and a postponement was disallowed. However, the match was played on the Colts grounds in Colombo with KYCC having to pocket out Rs. 23,000 a day. Why the double standards SLC? Development my foot! I understand that a high-up in the Development Committee of SLC is in Bangkok (Thailand) at the moment. He also has s foreign employment agency and had met an official of the Italian Cricket Board in Bangkok and is now in the process of clinching a deal to send Sri Lankan workers for employment in Italy via Bangkok. He is said to enjoy the benefits of the SLC visiting card for his private business. I also understand that a media personality attached to SLC is dodging visiting its headquarters as one state bank is hounding him for the payment of over Rs. 2 lakhs due to the bank from this official for the use of his credit card. Another "bouncer" hurled at the Interim Committee is that a luxury bus owned by a top government official has been hired by SLC through a private transport agency with his own driver for the use of players in the recent Test and One-Day Triangular series. Another way of earning big bucks!! The irony is that Thilanga Sumathipala was "shut out" from the top slot at SLC on the pretext of "financial mismanagement". So, who is taking the cricketing public for a ride? Galle Stadium to be reconstructed The Galle International Cricket Stadium which was devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami, is to be reconstructed with facilities for Day/Night cricket and even a swimming pool. It will not be shifted to another location in the Galle District. Earlier there were suggestions of it being shifted to Mahamodera and even Habaraduwa. The reconstruction work is to get under way tomorrow (August 1) in three stages. It will be recalled that 33-foot tidal waves lashed the Galle Stadium and there was even a bus, three vans, two cars and even four large fishing vessels (among many others) on the ground after the tsunami. Thilanga Sumathipala who headed the "Disaster Assistance Fund" of SLC at that time, said that the Galle Stadium may not stage any more international matches in future and at least Rs. 300 to Rs. 400 million will be needed to get it up to international standards again. The controversial Australian Test cricketer, Shane Warne, who has fond memories of the Galle Stadium, and the present holder of the highest number of Test wickets, visited Galle in February with Brad Grappers, CEO of the Shane Warne Foundation. Financial assistance was promised to re-build Galle Stadium. Was any money received and how much? Many other overseas dignitaries too promised aid, but I wonder how much was received? What is happening to the Pallakelle Stadium in Kandy? Is it yet "on hold"? After 70 per cent of the work had been completed, construction was stopped due to financial problems with SLC due to takeover and complete the work. There were to be floodlights too at this venue. What is happening to it now? Also a question to the authorities concerned. Has the salaries of the employees attached to the Galle Stadium been paid even now? Tiger cricket banned The Metropolitan Police for the Greater London Area have banned the Cricket Festival scheduled to be held today (July 31) by the British Tamil Association (BTA) at the Guilfordborough Council grounds. The BTA, which is believed to be a front of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE), collects at least 100,000 Sterling Pounds each year from this events, and the Metropolitan Police says that the funds collected are channelled to the LTTE to be utilised for the purchase of arms. Though the LTTE is a banned terrorist organisation in the UK, it continues its funds raising activities through "front" organisations like the BTA. The British government of Tony Blair is to introduce tough new laws in Parliament to deal with supporters of terrorism, even including provision to revoke citizenship and resident permits already issued to such persons. What inquiry? Does the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports conduct inquiries into each and every petition that they receive from disgruntled persons? Certainly not. If they do, then why have they not conducted any inquiry into the affairs of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL)? However, they have thought it fit to inquire about a petition sent to Minister Kumaratunga about the "autocratic" rule of the acting President of the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) Vijitha Fernando, by eight persons (Mahinda Liyanage, Bharatha Priya Lenora, Hilan Ukwatte, P. S. P. Dayananda, Julian Bolling, A. L. S. Perera, Mahi Chandralal and P. Seevaratnam). Fernando faces nine "charges" and the inquiry is to be conducted by D. Swarnapala, Senior Assistant Secretary (Sports) of the Ministry on August 3 (Wednesday). The Ministry has even "suspended" the special general meeting of SLASU to pick a President with only Vijitha Fernando sending in his nomination. But now, he has resigned as the Acting President and also from the South Asian Games Co-ordinating Committee till the inquiry is over and his name cleared. He continues to be a Vice-President of SLASU. Fernando has spent millions of rupees from his own pocket on this sport
he loves, accuses certain disgruntled persons who are behind this move to
oust him...all because he (Fernando) wanted to "bring a system to the set
up". He says that the sport has not suffered due to decisions he has taken. |
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