- Irate parents storm court over faulty refereeing
The All Island Under-15 A Division Basketball Championship had resembled a highly tensed up zone, The Daily Morning Sports, understands.
It was organised and conducted by the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation and held at the Indoor Court at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy on Saturday (7).
The situation had threatened to blow out of control, after a group of irate parents had stormed the court due to the allegedly subpar standard of refereeing, at the competition.
According to eye witness accounts, the organisers of the event had been forced to quell the heated situation, with the support of armed forces personnel, as the tournament had reached an anti-climax.
A group of parents who spoke to this paper were of the view that the reason for the tension to flare up, had been the use of a group of officials attached to the Ministry of Education, with questionable qualifications.
They charged the match officials assigned had not got through the basketball referee examinations to their knowledge.
They alleged that though qualified and certified referees affiliated to the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, ought to have been assigned officiating duties for a ‘A’ Division tournament, the latter had resorted to their controversial actions, in order to save funds.
“How can sports officials who are serving at the Sports Ministry, be assigned for basketball referee duty?” they asked.
“This is the end result, when such officials make erroneous decisions and it is the players that suffer its consequences and not those occupying the offices of the Basketball Federation.”
It has also been alleged that faulty refereeing decisions had hampered the game between St. Joseph’s Nugegoda and St. Bridget’s Convent and a group of incensed parents had even stormed the court and had attempted to voice their disapproval.
Efforts made by The Daily Morning Sports, to contact officials from the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, to ascertain their views on the issue drew a blank.