The Ministry of Sports has listed a sum of Rs. 2 billion as its expenses during a span of 11 months for 2024, The Daily Morning Sports, understands.
A source from the ministry said that this aforementioned amount, had been incurred as maintenance costs linked to sports complexes coming under its purview.
However, what is noticeable is this particular amount has been mentioned as the ministry’s maintenance costs when the coffers of the National Sports Fund (NSF), had reportedly gone dry.
According to the ministry source, despite the NSF having dried up, they will not face any immediate obstacle to carry out its operations and he noted that they have opted to carry out only the essential work, while placing unimportant activities on the backburner.
It is said that work related to several development projects which had been flagged off under the helm of Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who functioned as Sports Minister in the caretaker NPP Government, has now been completed in the allotted time period.
Those projects, including the Vavuniya (Omanthai) District Sports Complex and the Bingiriya (Wayamba Province) Sports Complex, have been vested with the public as of now, but for the artificial hockey turfs in Colombo and Matale.
The incumbent Premier in her capacity as the then Sports Minister, had specifically instructed to vest the Sports Complexes with the masses without any form of publicity or official ceremonies, upon its completion of work.
Due to this reason, the inauguration of the Sports Complexes had reportedly been carried out under the aegis of the Sports Ministry Director General (DG) Rear Admiral (Retd.) Dr. Shemal Fernando.
The Ministry of Sports has reportedly incurred a sum of nearly Rs. 1 billion for its development activities during this year, while a further Rs. 1 billion has been spent for the maintenance work of the Department of Sports Development, which is affiliated to the former.
Meanwhile, the construction work of several sports complexes and playgrounds have reached the final phase, according to the Ministry sources.
Those include the Sports Ministry grounds at Torrington Square in Colombo, the Southern Province playground at Kotawila, Matara, Sabaragamuwa Province playground, Ratnapura, Northern Province playground at Killinochi, Kaduruwela playground at Polonnaruwa District, Kalutara District playground at Bandaragama, Gampaha District playground at Wathupitiwala, Hambantota District playground at Beliatta, Galle District playground at Dadella, and the Mahinda Rajapaksa playground at Diyagama, respectively.
It is also learnt that despite cash in the NSF fund not being in a healthy state, the ministry has no major hindrance in meeting its costs and maintenance work for a further four months.
In the meantime, it has also come to light that the National Sports Council (NSC) which has been formed to provide advice to the subject minister, has not been filled since the exit of former Sports Minister Harin Fernando.
Furthermore, the services of all legal advisors attached to the Sports Ministry have expired, while the country’s first-ever Sports Ombudsman Chulananda Perera, who was appointed to his post by Harin Fernando on 16 May, has also resigned from his office.