February 15, (LNW) Colombo: As part of the ongoing effort to amend the Sri Lankan Rugby Constitution, the Director General of Sports, Shemal Fernando, has already been summoned to court on charges of contempt. No international or regional sports association can disregard the judicial system, which is entrusted with upholding the rule of law in the country.
However, despite being a public official, the Director General of Sports disregarded the court’s orders and proceeded to postpone the election based on a letter from the Asia Rugby President.
Consequently, on February 14, World Rugby, also ignoring the ongoing legal proceedings in the Sri Lankan courts, announced its intended course of action regarding Sri Lanka Rugby. At that time, David Carrigey, who is presenting this article on behalf of the International Rugby Union, agreed with the officials responsible for the £50,000 payment incident in Sri Lanka to recover it from the aid money received by Sri Lanka, and he agreed to cut development aid funds affecting the entire country without proposing to the International Federation to take disciplinary action against the official involved in the incident.
The letter sent to the Asia President, the Director General of Sports, and the President of the National Olympic Committee makes no mention of the court orders issued by the country’s judiciary or the ongoing investigations. It is the responsibility of the Sports Minister to determine whether the Director General who frequently prioritizes international sports associations over compliance with national court rulings has neglected his duty by failing to inform the international community of these legal proceedings.
During discussions on amending the constitution, the parties holding authority under the existing constitution have been disregarded. In the discussions held in December 2023, the Director General failed to engage with these legitimate stakeholders and instead repeatedly invited parties without any authority, thereby undermining the democratic process that should have first sought consensus among the rightful representatives.
In this manner, when the country’s judicial system fails to uphold the legal framework, those who ignore violations of the nation’s sports laws and constitutional provisions can exploit international and regional influence to undermine the independence of Sri Lanka’s sports governance. This creates a pathway for them to seize power without accountability. It is now a critical question whether the Minister of Sports will allow such a precedent to be set.
What course of action should the Sports Minister take if the Chief Executive of the administration—who has shielded individuals from legal consequences and failed to act against officials who should have been held accountable—also serves as the Chairman of the National Sports Council, which advises the Minister?
The question of whether the head of a state institution can not only push the country’s sports sector into uncertainty but also operate under the influence of international sports associations while disregarding national laws is one that will ultimately be decided in the courts.
It is astonishing that the Director General of Sports, who is operating under the influence of an international power to act beyond the court’s decision, holds a high-ranking position in the tri-forces while blatantly disregarding the law and the country’s independence.
Even now, the Sports Minister should discuss the situation with the relevant parties, call the Chairman of the National Olympic Committee, and discuss this issue outside the Director General of Sports, who has not properly managed this issue and has stirred it up internationally.
We know that a proposal to use Sri Lankan personnel in the Asian Rugby administration, which was supposed to go through the Ministry Secretary, has been rejected. A close examination of the February 14 letter to the Minister of Sports reveals clear indications of a recurring pattern. It is not difficult to identify those orchestrating this move. The proposal, spearheaded by David Carrigey, appears to be aimed at reinstating the very officials who previously shielded wrongdoing in Sri Lanka’s rugby administration.
Now, we wait. The Minister’s decision regarding an officer who has shown blatant disregard for the country’s laws will be of critical importance.
*Adapted from original article, “ලංකාවේ අධිකරණය නොසළකා වැඩ කරන්නට ලෝකයට උඩ ගෙඩි දෙන ක්රිඩා ලොක්කො” by Nishman Ranasinghe published on 15/02/2025.
