|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Thursday, 22 July 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Elections to sports bodies soon Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Jeewan Kumaratunga has decided to get rid of the interim sports bodies and conduct elections as soon as possible. A firm believer of democracy and the strength of people, Minister Kumaratunga has taken the right decision for the betterment of Sri Lanka sports. The Sports Minister has ordered fresh elections to five sports bodies which are currently run by interim administrations. Accordingly, the Director General of Sports Milton Amarasinghe is making arrangements to conduct elections to national sports associations for netball, cycling, elle, wushu, baseball and motorcycling. Over the years, there have been many sports bodies run by interim committees. But at the end, it has been proved that those interim bodies hardly serve the sports and the aspirations of its membership. Once an interim body is appointed, the members are only responsible to the Sports Minister who appointed them and not the members of that sports controlling body. Over the years, Sports Ministers have appointed Interim bodies in good faith, on various grounds. People of high calibre are appointed to the top seats of those interim councils, with lot of confidence and hope. But at the end, most of those top officials fail to live up to expectations and cut a sorry figure. It has happened in the past. It happened to cricket on many occasions and it was only last year that a democratically appointed executive committee was appointed to the Cricket Board after a long lapse. It was a result of numerous requests by the controlling clubs, member associations, clubs and districts. They accused interim officials of showing a blind eye to their grievances and needs to uplift the game. The situation is not different in other interim bodies. While the member clubs and associations look a neglected lot in their own national controlling body, the interim officials work to their own personal agendas. The name interim council itself shows it is just a stop gap body to fill the vacuum between two democratically elected bodies. But the interim administration appointed after the dissolution of an NSA should only last until they put the administration on the correct track. Once that is done, the interim committee officials should gracefully step down to pave way for fresh elections and a subsequent democratically appointed body. The Sports Ministry is in the process of formulating a national sports policy as an amendment to the three decade old National Sports Law. It is the right time to consider each and every matter and aspect, take views of those who are masters in their respective trades. It is important to give wider powers to the Director General of Sports to monitor the interim administration of sports bodies. There are genuine instances where the Sports Minister will have to take that bitter decision of dissolving a national sports association. But, he has the hold and the courage to do what is right. When the conduct of an ex-co goes out of hand, the Minister will have to sack those officials and bring in an Interim Committee. But that should be for a short period under the strict supervision of the Director General of Sports. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
