FFSL to launch massive football promotion

Hafiz Marikar

The new President and Secretary of the Sri Lanka Football Federation, Rangith Rodrigo and Upali Hewage are full of ideas and plans to promote football which was dormant in the last three years.

They hope to promote the Leagues and also encourage schools football and women’s football that are very popular. Rangith with year's of experience, should do a good job.

Rangith who came into the football scene through the Negombo Football League, was introduced to the FFSL by late J.N.S.Anandaraja, and has served the game as a Member of Finance Committee, Chairman of Finance Committee, Treasurer, Vice President and Senior Vice President.

He started his footballing with Negombo Youth Football Club way back in 1982, and entered the administration in 1996. He was one of the few to make football professional helping his Negombo Club.

From the day he stepped into FFSL in 1996, he has done a lot to promote the game. He has participated in several AFC and FIFA Congresses.

He is trying his best to rope in coaches from Brazil and win the SAFF tournament,in September this year in Kathmandu.

With all his experience, he is all out to organize tournaments with specified time framing, to improve the technical standards, steps to develop football in the rural areas.

Upali Hewage the new secretary with years of experience is expected to give a good account of his capabilities. A retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, is also a member of the National Sports Council. During his school

days he was well known in the rugger field and led his school Thurstan College in 1968. Some of his team mates were Sunil Jayakody, Mangala Rathnayake, Tissa Nanayakara, Wasantha Perera, Rohan Boudweyn, and Dinesh Rajartnam. He also led the school athletic team and was a senior cadet.

After joining the Police in 1971, he continued his good work in sports promotion. Where ever he was stationed he encouraged and promoted football and volleyball.

He was also in the interim committee of the SLRFU, Vice President of Volleyball Federation, Vice President of the Government Services Sports Association, Thurstan Rugby Football Club, Coordinator Thurstan Rugby Ground development committee, President of Thurstan Rugby

Football Ground development Committee and Trincomalee Football League.

According to Rangith and Upali, they have taken a steps, to divide the League tournaments into five Zones.

This idea was with the help of Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthagamage. Now all the five Vice Presidents, have been given the task to be in charge of five zones, so it is up to them to do the correct thing without only seeing to the welfare of their leagues.

Nuwara Eliya League President, L. Nerugee has been given the task to handle nine Leagues, from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya via Badulla with Sri Lanka Army also involved. Gampola’s Sunil Senaweera is given nine leagues

from Gampaha to Nawalpitiya, which includes Kandy, Sri Lanka Referees Association.

Rear Admiral Ananda Peries who is the head of Civil Security Service, City Football Leagues R. Puavanandiran is given eleven League from Colombo to Mannar with support from the Sri Lanka Air Force. Dr. Manil Fernando has

got ten leagues, from Colombo to Hambantota with the Sri Lanka Police.

Their job will be to give a helping hand in planning, organizing, executing and continuous monitoring all the activities of this zones.

The first meeting is fixed for today in Kandy. Some of the club officials over here in Kandy say that they have been invited verbally for today’s meeting by the Secretary of the Kandy F.L, to be held at a hall along D.S.

Senanayake Vidiya in Kandy, which will be conducted by Sunil Senaweera. For the last two year's Kandy failed to send a representative for the AGM of the congress of the controlling body.

They are also planning to promote and develop the Referees and standardise their commitments professionally. Today there are more referees than clubs.

What they lack is good backing from the Referees controlling body.

At one time there were some classy referees of the calibre of T.Perempanayagam, Col. C.S. Fernando, M. T. Fernando, Tom Ossen, T.Bongso, Stanley Perera, M. Buhary, Mushin Ariff. Of late Sunil Senaweera, A.M.

Yapa, Nimla Wickrematunga, A.G.C.Desapriya, M.C.M.Jamaldeen. Dilan Perera, H. Rubesh, Priyagnga Namal, N. Hematunga, Budika Dais, R.Premalal all are officiating in the Asian elite panel.

What football needs today is very good coaches and trainers to take the game forward. In particular the schools should be provided with good coaches and proper facilities.

When one talks about football one should not forget the great service rendered by Manilal Fernando.

Under his leadership and guidance football got a House, a training center. Several Leagues got their grounds and club houses re-developed, and today there are eight referees in the Asian panel all of them are mostly blowing overseas.

All this was made possible by Manilal weho was the first to become the AFC Vice President and Ex-co member of the FIFA from Sri Lanka.