National Sports Policy Bill in Jan.

Parliament reporters

A Bill to implement a National Sports Policy will be presented to Parliament by the end of January, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said in Parliament yesterday.

He said that this policy will be presented to the Cabinet for approval. He observed that this policy was formulated after consulting expert knowledge over the past 10 months. He made this observation joining in the committee stage debate of the Appropriation Bill 2012 when the finance heads of the Sports Ministry were taken up. He observed that the aim of the ministry is to make the sports sector an economically influential force by joining it with the tourism industry.

Denying Opposition MPs claims, he said that cricket has not collapsed and the temporary drawback witnessed in the field will be rectified soon. He also observed that political influences within cricket should be eliminated.