Minister has been misled, says rugby critics
By Jatila KARAWITA
Well-known rugby critics reckon that the Minister of Sports Gamini
Lokuge has been led up the gum-tree in an effort to remove the incumbent
captain of the national team Dushanth Lewke for the impending tour of
Chinese Taipei, as it could seriously scuttle the national team's
chances at the tournament, next month.
They allege that dissolving the previous national selection panel
headed by retired Brigadier Jupana Jayawardene had contravened the
Sports Law whereby he has failed to explain the reasons for their abrupt
removal from their posts. These rugby critics stated that the Minister
was wrong to allege that the previous selection panel, had faulted in
naming a captain ahead of the ratified squad. They emphasised, that the
Minister might have flouted his own Ministry regulations when
authorising the appointment of a skipper ahead of the team.
These rugby critics also pointed out that the Chairman of the new
selection panel, was a wrong choice given his professional links to a
person who is widely alleged to be behind the whole episode of 12 Kandy
SC players including Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, the instigator of the current
rugby crisis, quitting national pool practices one and a half months
ago.
The Minister they allege has also heeded the views of a former
national player who as a member of a influential sports body has changed
colours overnight, having previously praised the current national
captain.
The expert rugby critics further noted that the Minister has been
taken for a ride by these members of the sports body and they urge the
Minister not to give into the advice or influence of them, which could
seriously jeorpadise Sri Lanka's chances at the upcoming Asian
Five-Nations Division one tournament in Taiwan.
The rugby critics also stressed that if the Minister were to give
into the views of the new selection panel and approve the removal of the
captain of the national rugby team, it could result in a never before
seen rugby crisis in the country.
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