February 22, Colombo (LNW): The important thing is this to grab your own hair, turn your body inside out, and look at the world with new eyes.
We took up Peter Wise’s play thanks to Sugathapala de Silva. The play, which was brought to life by the brilliance of great actors like Jackson, Jayasiri, Roger, and Kaushalya Fernando, was titled Mara – Saad. The above dialogue set here was an ideal dialogue set that once turned our young playwrights on their heads and created the need for change.
We have the expectations of a society that runs on change and renewal, with the doubt of whether we will be able to fulfill them before we die. For that, we unconditionally stand for the responsibility of changing and making the fields we represent fair. Now, more than ever, it is unacceptable for the government to have a Director General who holds the problems of official sports unions in his hands without addressing or resolving them.
The role played in rugby has become one of the most serious threats to the independence and identity of the sport in the country. It also represents an attempt to limit the reach and development of rugby to a small urban area. The inaction and failure of regional associations, along with the decline of B-level rugby, which renders its existence useless and meaningless, are all part of the strategy to undermine the sport’s true potential.
For example, the funds received for the development of rugby and the dates on which they were received are provided herewith. None of these funds have been directed to the provincial associations. The Minister should also be informed about the appointment of the former naval officer, who was selected without considering any of the factors that led to the removal of Hasan Sinhawansa, including the legal dispute over non-constitutional recruitment. The Minister should also investigate whether this individual was proposed for appointment starting in January, whether his salary for December was paid, and whether the payment was made.
Our problem with appointing this person without providing funds to the provincial unions and paying him a salary, does not arise from a rugby issue. We also know that he is involved in the game of rugby. But it is not legal to bring Hasan Sinhawansa without considering the legal issues that have affected him. There is a huge power behind the minister who is pushing people to power by taking rugby to another goal that is not legal and fair, and who are more likely to bow to the politician who is doing wrong than the people who are directly involved, and who are looking for friendship that can be made to obey the official in any situation.
But as Mara-Sad says, if we turn the pillow upside down, we believe that injustice and unfairness are not burdens, and they can only be overturned by staying true to our political ideology. We have nothing to lose. Our goal is to leave behind a fair and thriving game for those whose names have not been mentioned.
There is no issue with the name of the Minister or anyone else being mentioned in this context. Someone like Attorney Asela Patabendi, the personal secretary to Minister Ananda Wijepala, who possesses practical knowledge of sports and was one of the best players in the world’s first Lawyers World Cup, can be used to help find the right people in a subject like sports.
Similarly, a person like Himashi Karunaratne, the personal assistant to Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who was once an influential figure in both the sports field and sports literature, can also play a key role in distinguishing the good from the bad in this regard. Ravindra Pushpakumara, who is part of the Prime Minister’s media unit, is a sports journalist and a specialist in traditional games like ‘Anga Keliya’. He is a valuable resource that can contribute from within the government represented by the Minister, helping to identify and collaborate with the right people in the pursuit of the right path for the sport.
*Adapted from original article, “අන්තිම සරලයි තමයි ඒත් තේරුම් ගන්න අමාරුයි…” by Nishman Ranasinghe published on 22/02/2025.
