- Asanga, Dilroy and Nalin in the frame
Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage has mooted plans to appoint an interim committee to liaise between World Rugby (WR) and Asia Rugby (AR) on a temporary basis until the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) is held, The Sunday Morning Sports learns.
The interim committee proposed by the Minister is set to consist of three former rugby officials, namely Asanga Seneviratne, Dilroy Fernando, and Nalin de Silva, who are all currently serving on the AR Board.
Seneviratne is a former President of SLR, while Fernando is a former head of the Sri Lanka Society of Rugby Football Referees (SLSRFR) with de Silva being a former President-elect of SLR and a retired Group Captain of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
By seeking the support of officials who are already serving on the AR Board, the Minister is aiming to leverage their expertise, insights, and links within the regional rugby landscape to expedite solutions to the ongoing rugby crisis.
However, it is reliably understood that the three aforementioned officials are yet to receive any official communiqué from the Minister or his ministry in this regard.
The AGM of SLR, which was originally scheduled for last Tuesday (21), was put off indefinitely by Minister Gamage.
This was following a restraining order imposed by the Colombo District Court, which had considered a petition filed by former President of SLR Lasitha Gunaratne.
Gunaratne has claimed that his nomination to contest the SLR AGM had been dismissed without a valid reason.
Therefore, he has moved the court to issue an injunction valid until 30 January on the conduct of the election until his petition is heard and a suitable order is delivered.
Meanwhile, objections have been raised by several stakeholders linked to eligibility criteria of a few nominations for top posts and the alleged infringement of the Sports Act by the Election Committee formed to oversee the election of office bearers.
These stakeholders include representatives from founder ‘A’ Division rugby clubs and also from AR.
These complaints had been linked to alleged violations committed by the Election Committee and the plaintiffs have categorised them into three sectors.
They are non-compliance with the SLR Constitution and the Sports Act, failure to address complaints, and the insufficient monitoring of electoral procedures.
The complainants have recommended to the Minister to initiate an independent review to reaffirm compliance with regulations and to diligently address stakeholder concerns.
Meanwhile, Sports Ministry Secretary Aruna Bandara, in announcing the postponement of the AGM to AR last week, has requested a one-year extension of the WR deadline of 31 January.
This is to address constitutional amendments and to conduct a Special General Meeting (SGM) followed by an AGM, without falling foul of the two overseas-based rugby bodies.
(JK)