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| Sunday, 19 February 2006 |
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Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Is money the root of all evil at SLC? Straight Talk by Lal Gunasekera Will a politician holding the top slot in a national sports controlling body like Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) bring the desired results? This is a debatable issue. There were persons in the calibre of the late Dr. N. M. Perera, T. B. Werapitiya, Lakshman Jayakody, Gamini Dissanayake, and Tyronne Fernando at the helm of affairs at SLC in the past. Of them, the late Gamini Dissanayake, was an exceptional personality. His persuasive powers saw Sri Lanka obtain full membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He was also responsible for the re-construction of the beautiful Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, as well as the SLC headquarters at Maitland Place. In the good old days, there was no big money in the SLC, but that does not arise now. From the time that Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 under Arjuna Ranatunga (now a Deputy Minister in the government), SLC's coffers have been filling, and many are jostling each other to get into SLC for reasons well-known to all and sundry. There are the pros and cons for a politician to be at the helm of affairs. He may be successful in attracting the much needed sponsors etc, but this does not certainly apply to SLC now. He may be able to get work done, but there are the 'hangers on' or the 'catchers' as you may call them, who are the powers behind the throne. Some are in office to fill their own pockets, and this is what politicians must be careful of. They are the ones who bring disrepute to their leaders. They are mere parasites. So, what do you suggest? Should or should not a politician be at the helm of affairs in a body like SLC? Since March 2005, there has been an Interim Committee appointed by Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga running the affairs of SLC. According to reliable sources, elections to SLC and Kabaddi is 'on hold' while the elections to other Interim Committees appointed to various sports are to be held on or before March 31 this year. However, SLC, and its Interim Committee maybe thinking that Minister Kumaratunga (he is away from the country at the moment) may call for elections, have been very busy canvassing votes - gifting equipment and money to various clubs and even promising the sun and the moon. The latest to come down the grapevine is their attempts to hijack District Cricket Associations (DCA) in attempts to woo Ministers from Ratnapura, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Kalutara and Dambulla to contest for the post of President of SLC. I sincerely hope that Ministers are not gullible to fall into the trap of these parasites. There are over 140 votes at the SLC - District Associations, Controlling Clubs, Provincial Associations and Employment Associations (Mercantile, Defence, Nationalised Services) who have two votes each with affiliated clubs having one vote each. The race is on - in the hope of an annual general meeting "very soon". But whether there will be one, is entirely in the hands of a few in the ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. If not, what are the valid reasons? Public accountability The Sports Law - Section 9 of the Sports Amendment Act, No. 47 of 1993, requires SLC to keep proper books of accounts of income and expenditure and all other transactions and for it to be balanced on December 31 and before March 31 prepare an income and expenditure account and balance sheet containing a summary of the assets and liabilities (Sub section (2) of the Section 21A of the Principal Enactment) and that the Auditor General shall audit the accounts (sub section (3) of Section 21A of the Principal Enactment). SLC, also most importantly, is accorded the status of a Statutory Board/Authority under the provisions of the Finance Act of Sri Lanka, which makes it imperative to adhere to the same high standards of transparency, responsibility and public accountability in all its affairs. Under Section 33 of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports had made interim arrangements for continuing the functions of SLC, but it is regretted that this Interim Committee has dropped the word 'Interim' and proclaims themselves as the 'Committee of SLC', contravening the legal provisions of the Sports Law under which they were appointed. Key performers and resource personnel have been replaced and the victims include people like Ray Illangakoon, Premasara Epasinghe, Godfrey Dabrera, Chandrashan Perera, S. K. Silva, Hashan Tillekeratne, Preethi Colombage and Asoka Munaweera. Long serving employees are harassed and treated like medieval slaves to compel them to leave. The practice of breaking employees service irrespective of their positions by compulsorily keeping them at home and calling them back after a break of several days has been introduced. Sudath Pasqual had a seven day break and Ishari Perera had to wait five days at home. Instead of confirming employees who completed the initial period of satisfactory service, they are issued with letters extending their service for short periods of time - two months, 2 1/2 months etc. Unlike previous Interim Committees who made only a few changes in key positions in the management structure of SLC, this Interim Committee seems as if they do not want a steady, well experienced and competent permanent staff, but a set of men and women dependent on the Interim Committee and remain at their mercy. The key staff positions at SLC has been virtually encroached by friends and relations of the Interim Committee members. It's an ever increasing long list. Many of them are receiving high US Dollar allowances thanks to the Under-19 World Cup budget allocations made by the ICC for the first time in SLC history. They have even stopped the salaries and allowances of Provincial and District cricket office staff and coaches for periods over three months. An ex Bank employee who walked in with the Interim Committee as Administration Manager has crept into the office of the Chief Financial Officer and taken total command of the financial function, while the earlier appointed senior Chartered Accountant was shunted out as special Projects Head - a position of lower rank. Another is dabbling with adminstration. The Chief Financial Officer has no qualifications (leave alone experience) to hold such office and puts his finger into every nook and corner. Furthermore, this ex-bank employee has been made the Finance Manager by a strange process called the re-designation process. Please return money Sri Lanka's sprint queen Susanthika Jayasinghe has been requested by government authorities to return the Rs. 1 million given to her for training purposes in the USA under her coach Tony Campbell in preparation for next month's Commonwealth Games to be staged in Melbourne, Australia. Earlier, the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry had given her Rs. 6 lakhs, while she received Rs. 4 lakhs from the President's Fund. The bronze medallist at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, has not yet recovered from an leg-injury and skipped the trials for selection for the Commonwealth Games, where she was desperate to win a medal. With her hopes and expectations dashed, Jayasinghe, has been told by her US coach to rest and recover fully in time for the South Asian Games to be staged in Sri Lanka in August and Asian Games in Doha. Derwin out of favour The very same people who were responsible in getting Derwin Perera (Deputy Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and a former national coach) as President of Sri Lanka Athletic Association (SLAA) now wants him out. The main reason - that they did not get various posts in the SLAA which they expected. The annual general meeting has now been re-scheduled for March. Appointment blocked The appointment of the senior national Netball coach has been blocked by certain individuals. She has already been picked, but the appointment cannot be ratified at Exco-level as these disgruntled ladies keep away from Exco meetings, which are put off due to lack of quorum. The present President of the Netball Federation is not keen on continuing for another term because of disunity created by these disgruntled persons, who are now trying their best to get the wife of Youth Affairs and Sports Minister to head this body. The annual general meeting is scheduled for March.
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