• Maxwell continues to defy calls to quit

The ongoing internal power struggle within the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL), which has currently drawn the ire of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has contributed to inviting a ban from the world body, The Sunday Morning Sports learns.

According to informed sources, the Lausanne-based IOC has already conveyed instructions officially to the NOCSL to act on the recommendations of its Ethics Committee to suspend its Secretary General Maxwell de Silva forthwith, who has defied calls to resign amidst allegations of corruption. 

However, the failure of the NOCSL Executive Committee thus far to implement the recommendations put forth by the Dinal Phillips-helmed Ethics Committee has angered the sport’s global controlling body, according to sources.

Hence, there is a looming danger of Sri Lanka’s membership being suspended by the IOC, which would prevent the country from competing in global sporting contests for the foreseeable future.

The NOCSL Ethics Committee’s recommendations have been based on a report compiled by a three-member expert panel formed by the Sports Ministry, which had probed into a litany of allegations against de Silva based on a report filed by the Auditor General’s Department.

The IOC had recently warned the NOCSL that failure to act on its instructions would invite severe ramifications to Sri Lanka’s sporting firmament.