Currently, both the Sports Minister and the Sports Director
General have a positive and logical reputation in the field of
sports. Roshan Ranasinghe and Arjuna Ranatunga can be said to
be better than Hareen, except for those rare people who take them
as pure characters. Shermal Fernando’s influence behind Harin’s
decisions is also significant. We are well aware of that. However,
when working on the rugby game, it deviates from the generally
positive work order to support the preparation of the rugby
constitution in Sri Lanka in a manner that prioritizes a few elite
sports clubs and centralizes power, while neglecting common
issues such as the expansion of rural rugby and decentralization
of authority.We asked the minister to claim that these sports clubs are first
class. How are all those sports clubs first class? Such is the
question we are asking the minister. They are permanently placed
in the first tier because there is no system in place that requires a
talented team emerging from the second tier to enter the first tier
and the first tier team to qualify for the first tier again. If the sports
minister truly loves rugby in the country, this is what he should
suggest. However, the minister dissolved the rugby
administration based on allegations of non-constitutionality and
an unelected tenure. Thus disbanded, the Director General of
Sports was elected and allowed to give way to a new
administration.
But the Director General started by appointing the head of the
disbanded administration as its facilitator. On the surface, we see
the Director General, but the minister may be behind the
appointment.
After learning that the Director General of Sports would intervene
in the General Assembly to amend the constitution, the provincial
associations of voters went to court. Following the court order,
they agreed to discuss all matters except the constitutional
amendment. However, the Director General did not convene the
General Assembly as per the court order. While the order only
prohibited discussions about the new constitution at the General
Assembly, halting the assembly itself could be seen as exceeding
the court’s directive. Additionally, there is a need to introduce a
new constitution with the Director General’s intervention in the
General Assembly.This situation is bad. It is the duty and responsibility of the
Ministry and the Sports Development Department to conduct the
election and talk to the World Association and give permission to
change the constitution. Otherwise, the sports ministry of the
country cannot propose to the international association to change
the rugby constitution and impose it on the rugby administration
of the country.
Also, if the World Rugby has suggested to several sports clubs
playing first-class rugby in any other country to prepare a
constitution to determine the behavior of the rugby players of that
country, it should also be shown ideally.
It is a ridiculous crime to amend the constitution in such a way
that a few sports clubs get a shape and power that is not found
anywhere in the world.
What is needed is an amendment to the Sri Lanka rugby
constitution that strengthens both the first and second tiers of
rugby, allowing for promotion and relegation between them and
ensuring that the second-tier tournament is as robust as the first.
Additionally, the constitution should guarantee power to the
rugby community, encouraging greater involvement in rural areas
and providing village teams with more control and influence.Through this, the Minister of Sports as well as the Director
General also make excrement in important decisions regarding
other sports. The rights of the ruggers must be settled by the
ruggers themselves. The rugby constitution should be changed by
closing down the space that has been given to several grassroots
sports clubs to flourish in competitive ways. Facing that situation
in practice should be entrusted to the people who will come to
power after the election of Sri Lanka Rugby.
In the end, if Sri Lankan rugby is banned again and after that, the
sins of side dangers that may happen to rugby forever will fall on
the shoulders of this political behavior. It is problematic that the
Sports Minister, after disbanding the Rugby administration in
accordance with his powers, now allows his Director General to
behave like this. He can tell the officer under him how to fulfill
the responsibility. Can also be assigned. But what is happening
now is that the bad accusations against the director general can be
seen as the use of a gang of cronies under him as political power.
