June 21, (LNW) Colombo : Nalin de Silva, who was the Acting President of Sri Lanka Rugby when the administration was disbanded, was best known for addressing everyone as ‘Sir’. After he was appointed as the Acting President, it was seen that he was going on a different path, different from the opinions of the person who was in control. It seems that he is endorsing a system that places Sri Lankan rugby under the control of several sports clubs, especially considering that he even agrees to a constitutional change necessary to remain in power. Also, it seemed that he was suffering from the desire to remain as the President without doing anything related to the election.
For these reasons, we objected to the Director General of Sports naming Nalin de Silva as a facilitator for rugby before a rugby election. This decision was also criticized within the field. His name is also mentioned in the letter submitted by former President Rizly Illyas to the ombudsman, appointed by the Minister of Sports, to investigate and punish the former officials. It is not known on this basis, but he is not seen to provide facilities in the field or anything at this time and perhaps in view of the objections that have arisen it is unethical to assign him responsibilities, so remove him from the top or make him more credible as an ex-army officer. It may seem withdrawn. We have previously advocated for the conviction of the officials involved in the incident that led to the downfall of Sri Lankan rugby, resulting in a £50,000 fine that damaged the reputation of Sri Lanka Rugby. At the time when the fine was imposed by the International, Nalin was in the position of secretary. Therefore, we believed that if the officials who contributed to the wrongdoing were not charged or punished, it would result in loss of confidence in the country’s governance related to the Immigration Act, due to political pressures and set a bad precedent allowing criminals to evade justice with officials’ privileges. It has been 10 years now, but the country has not apologized for this incident. The officials responsible for separating the fines from the annual international community contributions meant for the development of Sri Lanka Rugby are still seeking rugby positions.
It is crucial to take action now in this situation and instill a fear of making mistakes. If the culture of knowingly committing errors or assuming protection regardless of actions taken becomes entrenched, it will set a harmful precedent for future generations. Currently, there is no fear of wrongdoing because those officials hold high positions in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, within Sri Lanka’s rugby field, they continue to assert their influence as moral authorities in certain matters. We must acknowledge that rugby in Sri Lanka being controlled by several sports clubs has diminished the influence of existing regional associations. Often, talent is scouted from these regional leagues to nurture players for national teams and major clubs. It is true that currently only a few clubs with a history of nearly a hundred years or more are actively involved in playing rugby. The youngest among these longstanding sports clubs, the Army team, joined in 1962. However, opportunities in first-class rugby are also seen through mobilizing talent across various social and political foundations. Recent examples include the Up Country Lions team, facilitated by Mahindananda Aluthgama, and the Hambantota Sharks team, supported by Rajapaksa, being included in the first-class competition category. Their political connections enabled them to recruit talent into their respective teams.
But in a different way, before entering the first division, the team that wins the second division should be admitted to the first division and the last team of the first division should be brought to the second division. This step is crucial for enhancing competition levels and improving game quality across both divisions, emphasizing the importance of nurturing local leagues and overseeing sports clubs through them. But the Minister of Sports in the matters told to the media says about Rugby, it is clear that a plus mark has been used for the request of the sports clubs. But the minister himself is currently experiencing Tarushi who is participating in the Olympics from Pathadumbarin beyond the ring. Nadisha Dilhani Lekamge, who emerges from Parakadu. The amazing performance of the little players emerging from the villages of women’s cricket. While the sports minister is talking about the need to facilitate village sports, the minister does not think about the importance of sticking to eight sports clubs in relation to rugby. They are deceiving their supposed allies. The more professional experience of the people intervening in certain legal matters of the minister is likely to be filled with the expectation of the importance of separating a group on both sides even if it is an advice given about rugby. That’s because the advantageous position they have from experience is based on separation and change.Those people who stand for the minister in certain legal matters and do it according to the needs of themselves and their loved ones say over the phone the results sometimes in the main rugby clubs of the country, the words go to alcohol parties in such a way that the reputation of the minister is also damaged.
More importantly, Harin Fernando has an understanding of the external image as much as his associate’s advice. If not, you can’t stop feeling that you are standing alert in one place and standing in another place with difficulty. We believe that Harin Fernando will be able to walk easily among the people who are looking for rubbish to such an extent, and while ensuring the village sports, the same person will make the rugby tri and get points to the regional leagues and explain its value to the world. It is also seen that the Sports Development Department is currently trying to come to the right place in a good decision regarding Ruger. We believe it will be a fitting end to an exemplary future for Ruger. We see it as a good sign that Nalin misses everyone there. Because ministers and officials often understand the facts according to the associations of friends around them and when someone presents an idea, it is a fashion of politicians and officials in Sri Lanka to think that the holder of that idea does not know. On the other hand, there is no dearth of those who abuse the friendship and trust of the minister and the official in search of privileges. In such a situation, the “missing of Sir” that we may see is a decision made after studying the facts responsibly.
