MARTIS’S INCIDENT IS BEING
CONDUCTED AFTER THE SCHOOL
UNION REPORTED IT
– DIRECTOR GENERAL OF SPORTS
Sanath Martis, the coach of the national rugby team, has
once again been accused of publicly assaulting a player from
the St. Peter’s College team he coaches. As someone who has
been punished for a similar act in the past, he once again
faces the risk of being sanctioned based on the regulations
of Asia and World Rugby.In this regard, Director General Professor Shemal Fernando,
who has been appointed by the Minister as the authority
responsible for the current administration of Sri Lanka
Rugby, states that he has not yet received an official
notification from the school federation about this situation.
He said that he also got to see this incident, but he is not able
to take action just because he saw it, and that he will take
further steps according to the reports submitted by the
Ministry of Education and the School Rugby Union
regarding the incident.
The Director General noted that, following consultations
with the officials assigned to referee the match and the
provision of other technical support to Sri Lanka Rugby, the
initial steps to address this issue will be taken once these
responsibilities are fulfilled.
Scientific considerations should be given to whether a public
beating can guide a youth in the right direction or if it will
undermine the self-esteem of a school-age boy and damage
his personality. A skilled coach like Sanath Martis must
consider various personality aspects while guiding a player
towards victory. If Sanath acts this way despite having
previously been punished and shown the legal repercussions,
it indicates that he has disregarded a legal fact of which he
is already aware.All are equal before the law. The World Rugby Federation is
also observing Sri Lanka’s conduct regarding this incident.
The global community will not only judge Sanath but also
evaluate whether Sri Lanka is in a conceptually advanced
state or remains in an outdated, tribal era.
In a country where the school system includes individuals
who believe a child cannot be raised without physical
punishment, and with the endorsement of the Ministry of
Education, there are those who can influence the removal of
attire worn at an international sports tournament. Also, some
people maintain mobile hair cutting stations in such festivals
with the inferiority complex of having the monopoly of
keeping the young man according to their needs. These
actions are internationally recognized as violations of human
rights, citizens of Sri Lanka still revere teachers as gods.
Consequently, teachers who do not conform to this godlike
image have managed to evade scrutiny due to the prevailing
opinion about these revered teachers. But since this moment
is now open to the world, it is true that the world is alert to
the actions taken for Sanath Martis.
The most important issue here is that Sanath Martis has
overlooked common good practices while continuing to
showcase his talent. By disregarding these ethical issues, he
is not only damaging himself but also harming the country
that could benefit from his talent.
However, a video released to the world shows Sanath Martis,
along with Ransilu Jayathilake, the internationally renownedweightlifting champion responsible for the physical fitness
of the St. Peter’s College rugby team. The video confirms
that they threatened and attacked a player, leading to a flurry
of opinions and criticisms on social media. We are closely
monitoring the report that the Schools Rugby Federation will
provide to the Director General of Sports in this situation
