Lasitha's complaint brought to notice of Sports Minister

Jatila Karawita

The National Sports Council (NSC) acting on a complaint received from former Sri Lankan rugby cap Lasitha Gunaratne that the current Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) Council consists of members who are in direct violation of its constitution has accordingly drawn the attention of the Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge, its Chairman Dr. Maiya Gunasekera said.

Dr. Maiya Gunasekera said that Gunaratne's complaint states that according to the SLRFU constitution, all elected members - to its council except for the representative of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) should and ought to have played 'A' Division rugby, national rugby, provincial rugby or in a representative rugby team and that current council comprises officials who have failed to adhere to the above criteria.

Dr. Maiya Gunasekera the famed Consultant Surgeon of the Nawaloka Hospital and a former SLRFU President said that going by the SLRFU constitution a representative team is one that is selected either by the SLRFU or the national rugby selectors. He added that Lasitha Guneratne's complaint was a valid one considering the composition of the current council of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union with only its Vice President Asanga Seneviratne qualifying to sit on it going by the criteria laid down in its constitution.

Dr. Gunasekera added that having received the complaint from the ex-Sri Lanka, CR & FC and Royal lock forward his Council had studied it root and branch before submitting their recommendations to the Minister through the Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Public Recreation, S. Liyanawatte.

He stated further that following the recommendation made to the Minister it will be solely upto him whether to appoint a committee to inquire into the complaint that some officials of the SLRFU are holding office in direct violation to the criteria laid down in its constitution.

The National Sports Council headed by Dr. Maiya Gunasekera comprises Lasitha Gunaratne, Captain M.T.H. Perera, Major General Dr. C. Thurairaja, Prasanna Fernando, Malcom Perera, Rohan Siriwardene, Julian Bolling, B.L.H. Perera, Indra de Silva, Mrs. Mangalika Weerasinghe, B.D. Dahanayake, Susantha de Silva (Secretary), P.G. Rupasinghe and Mrs. Wimala Jayaweera.