Sports Minister dissolves five National sports bodies

The Sports Minister already took action to dissolve five National sports bodies immediately with a Gazette notification and make necessary action to held the respective Sports Bodies’ elections as soon as possible, said Sports Director General Rear Admiral Dr. Shemal Fernando.

Sports Director General is handling the elections and dissolved five sports bodies. They are Archery, Bridge, Kabbadi, Roller Sketing and Wrestling, added Sports DG.

As the Sports Director General I have power to make arrangements to develop sports and the Sports Development Department always closely work with Sports Ministry, said Dr. Fernando.

Dr. Shemal Fernando who is having PHD from Sports Management said Sports Development Department has a big challenge in next year as Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and many more international sports events are to be held and our task is to get many medals. The dissolved five sports bodies couldn’t held their AGMs on time and we gave time until last October 31. However they couldn’t do that and Sports Minister ordered me to dissolve that sports bodies, said Dr. Shemal Fernando.

Today Sports Ministry has to observe more then 60 sports bodies and some of the sports bodies are inactive and they had only their elections to appoint officials and the elected officials never work hard to fulfill their duties. Sports Development Department has authority to overlook all sports bodies while sports bodies’ responsibility is to getting close with the Sports Development Department.

For the first time apart from the Sports Director General there is a new post, Assistant Sports Director General which was appointed two months before and Rohana de Silva the former Additional Secretary to the Finance ministry will do the new role of Assistant Sports Director General. Both Sports Director General post and Assistant Sports Director General post have now appointed after getting the approval from the Cabinet.

Not like those days after changing Sports Minister the DG or the Assistant DG do not change (until their contract period end) and Sports Ministry Secretary K.Mahesan will closely work with both DG and Assistant DG.

Meanwhile Sports Director General Dr. Shemal Fernando pointed out some sports bodies are always a headache for the Sports Ministry. They usually come to the Sports Development Department to begging money for the foreign tours and officials are very keen to go overseas tours. Some times they get first priority than the athletes and this system should be changed to develop sports, added Sports Director General.

Actually sports bodies have to find their own sponsors and they have to work hard for their athletes and to build up sports.

Normally when international events like Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or Olympic, National sports bodies are hurry to form National pools to focus that meets and this is not enough to win medals.

Sports bodies have to make plan to maintain National pools throughout the year and they have to take action to show their annual plan and they should forward it to the Sports Ministry first. In addition some sports bodies are willing to go unnecessary tours just as picnics and go shopping and these type of tours are pointless. We have to select medal prospect sports and give more attention to them, added Sports DG.

Meanwhile new Sports Minister Harin Fernando said most of the sports body officials are a headache for the Ministry and if we will go to clear their issues we couldn’t find time to attain to athletes issues. In addition Sports Minister has an idea to appoint Ombudsman to assist athletes issues and he told about this new appointment after assumed duties but the new appointment has not been appointed so far.

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