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)