December 15, Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka National Olympic Committee (NOCSL) has been suspended by both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) following its failure to implement recommendations from the Ethics Committee regarding accusations against certain members.
This suspension, which affects the NOCSL’s access to critical funding, was confirmed in a joint statement released on December 10, signed by James MacLeod on behalf of the IOC and Hussein Al Musallam representing the OCA.
The core issue behind the suspension stems from the NOCSL’s lack of action in addressing the findings of the Ethics Committee, which had recommended the removal of several officials implicated in unethical practices.
Rather than acting on these recommendations, the executive committee has instead moved towards holding elections aimed at re-electing many of the same individuals accused of misconduct, as they continue to hold a majority in the current composition of the committee.
The joint statement issued by the IOC and OCA highlighted the significant damage to the credibility and reputation of the Sri Lanka Olympic Committee. It also stated that funds allocated to the NOCSL would remain suspended until further notice.
However, the statement did not specify if or when these payments would be reinstated, instead emphasising that the suspension would remain in place until serious ethical concerns surrounding the process were resolved.
Despite numerous ongoing discussions between the IOC, OCA, and the NOCSL over the years, no substantial progress has been made. The international bodies pointed out that the NOCSL has failed to implement any of the measures suggested by its own Ethics Committee, and individuals suspected of corruption or fraud have not lost their official positions, including the highly influential Secretary of the NOCSL, who remains accused of misconduct.
This situation has drawn widespread criticism, not only within Sri Lanka’s media but also from international sports publications. The international bodies have expressed disappointment that local authorities, including the Sports Minister, Deputy Minister, and the Director General of the Sports Development Department, have seemingly overlooked or failed to act upon the allegations.
In response to the actions of the NOCSL, the IOC and OCA have made it clear that merely conducting elections under the current circumstances, without addressing the serious allegations, is insufficient.
The election process is being viewed as an attempt to legitimise the status quo, rather than address the ethical issues that have plagued the NOCSL.
The ongoing situation raises serious concerns about Sri Lanka’s future participation in the international sporting community. Whilst the NOCSL may attempt to proceed with elections as a way to bypass the crisis, it is uncertain whether the international bodies will recognise such an election unless it is accompanied by a thorough investigation into the allegations raised in the Ethics Committee’s report.
As the crisis deepens, the international community continues to stress that any efforts to resolve the situation must begin with a transparent and fair investigation, followed by the removal of individuals found guilty of misconduct.
Only then can the NOCSL hope to restore its credibility and re-establish its position within the global sporting arena.
The suspension serves as a stark warning about the potential consequences of failing to address corruption within national sports bodies, with the looming threat of Sri Lanka’s membership in the Olympic movement being put at risk.
The path forward is clear: to protect the integrity of sports in Sri Lanka, the necessary reforms must be made before any election can be deemed valid in the eyes of the international community.
*Adapted from original article, “නිලවරණ ගැලවිජ්ජාව හෙවත් වසුරු අයිසින් කර, කේක් ලෙස මවා පෙන්නීම” by Nishman Ranasinghe published on 15.12.2024.
