May 13, Colombo (LNW): Maxwell de Silva, the former Secretary of Sri Lanka’s National Olympic Committee (NOC), has been officially barred from all sporting functions under the organisation’s banner for a period of five years, following a series of investigations into serious ethical breaches and administrative misconduct.
The decision comes after months of scrutiny, during which both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports had previously suspended de Silva from his duties.
Allegations had surfaced regarding long-standing irregularities linked to his handling of official responsibilities, prompting a formal inquiry by the NOC’s internal oversight mechanisms.
Suresh Subramanian, Chairman of the NOC, confirmed that the Ethics Committee undertook a detailed review of the complaints lodged against the former official. Upon assessing the findings and recommendations, the Executive Committee reached a unanimous decision to impose a five-year ban.
The punishment, Subramanian added, has already been formally communicated to the IOC, signalling the seriousness of the action taken and the organisation’s commitment to upholding ethical governance.
As a consequence of the ruling, de Silva is barred from representing the National Olympic Committee in any capacity—be it at international sporting events, conferences, or meetings under the Olympic movement.
This blanket prohibition also means he will be excluded from involvement in all NOC-affiliated activities, both domestically and abroad.
