Niluka’s plight bothers new Sports Minister

Leading badminton player Niluka Karunaratne has been banned from the sport for one year by the Sri Lanka Badminton Federation, allegedly for attacking another player in an open tournament held in Anuradhapura. Sports Minister Aluthgamage said that he plans to probe into the matter and see that justice is done to this leading shuttler.

Niluka Karunaratne

“I am waiting until Niluka make an appeal and I will see as to what could be done at this end,” said Aluthgamage to the Sunday Times. Besides this, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage will act according to an advisory committee on monetary affairs. The reason for this is on earlier occasions there have been allegations of wrong doing whilst handling monetary dealings. Due to this fact Aluthgamage has decided to have this advisory committee who will advise the minister on how to spend monies that has been allocated to various sports bodies and their other monetary dealings.

Since the Ten Sports TV deal comes to an end on December 31, 2010, the Sports Minister will seek the advice of the advisory committee and a technical committee. Originally this deal was initiated by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Depending on the advice he gets from these bodies, the minister will decide whether the Sports Ministry should attend to this matter or let the SLC to conduct it under the scrutiny of the Ministry.

The Minister said he has no intention of interfering into SLC affairs until the Cricket World Cup 2011 is over. He said decision to stage the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Hambantota will be made next year. “This task takes top priority,” said the Minister

He plans to have discussions with various sports federations to change the existing Sports Law and allow federations to conduct their Annual General Meetings (AGM) once in two years. He is of the opinion that this will give the federations a little more time to conduct their affairs in a fitting manner.

He also plans to nominate liaison officers from the Sports Ministry to see that these federations conduct their affairs fairly. These officers will report to the Sports Ministry at regular intervals.

One of his aims is to see that sports officials cut down on their foreign jaunts and these funds are to be allocated to train and groom athletes.

As a parting shot the Sports Minister said that the Sports Ministry is not a den of thieves, but there are officers who are lethargic. “There are several hardworking, honest individuals in the Sports Ministry. I plan to get them and the others, to work towards making the Sports Ministry a better and fruitful place.”
He also said that when he referred to the cutting down of officials he was speaking about the Asian Beach Sports Festival held in Muscat, Oman recently.

The NOC had presented seven officials to officiate at the Beach Sports Festival and he had cut them down to three as he did not like so many officials going on tour and taxing Sports Ministry funds.

(www.sundaytimes.lk)

Controversy surrounds badminton tour

By T.B. Rahaman

The Sri Lanka Badminton Association in coordination with the Schools Badminton Association is planning to send a large number of junior players to participate in the Li Ning Youth Badminton Championship to be held in Singapore from December 13 to 19.

The Championship sponsored by Li Ning will feature events in five age groups of under-11, 13, 15, 17 and 19.

Sri Lanka will send juniors for three age groups of under-15, 17 and 19. The two lower age groups have been omitted by the Education Ministry.

According to the president of the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA) Roshan Gunawardana, the Education Ministry refused to include the lower age groups as they were not allowed to represent the country at that age.

Gunawardena told Daily Mirror that the players were picked by the selection committee of the Schools Badminton Association and the four officials who will accompany the players are also from the Schools Association.

Twenty countries are sending their players to represent their respective countries at this prestigious championship.

However, the letter (dated 20 Nov. 2010) sent to the principals of the schools seeking the release of players for the championship was sent on letter heads of the SLBA and signed by the president Roshan Gunawardana.

The letter states that the concerned child has been selected to represent the country at the Li Ning Junior Badminton Championship and that the principal’s permission was needed to take the player to Singapore.

Gunawardana also said that the government was not giving money to take the children for this tournament and that each child should find their own funds.

Entries for this tournament closed on November 15, 2010 in Singapore.

Parents complained that they were asked to deposit the money to a bank account that they do not know to whom it belongs. The amount being collected from each player is Rs. 95,000/= and more than 40 players have been selected.

When Roshan Gunawardana became the president of the SLBA he embarked on a venture to take the game to the village. Now he is working overtime to send players for foreign tournaments. Is this a way to entice the players to take to the game and reach a high standard soon? One parent who contacted the Daily Mirror asked.

Two years ago another controversial tour like this to Singapore where a lot of school children paid and took part ended in disaster when the parents complained that the children were put up at hotels which also doubled up as brothels.

(www.dailymirror.lk)