• Issues ultimatum to resign or face the music

National Olympic Committee (NOC) President Suresh Subramaniam has said that those with tarnished public images serving on its Executive Board will have time until 9 April to step down or face the consequences.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Sports, Subramaniam stated that the NOC Executive Board would hold its Special General Meeting (SGM) on the said date to ratify several policy decisions.

Subramaniam said that both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) had officially conveyed to him that they were unwilling to unfreeze the NOC’s suspended funds until individuals with allegedly tarnished images remaining within the Executive Board were removed from office. 

The OCA froze NOC funds in late 2024 until such time the local body removed all officials associated with scandals and grave allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption.

Two members of its Executive Board, namely Suranjith Premadasa and Gamini Jayasinghe, recently resigned from their posts of Vice President and Treasurer, respectively.

It is believed that Equestrian Association President Premadasa and Jayasinghe, who has links to sports such as hockey, baseball, winter sports, teqball, and dancesport, had quit their posts citing health and personal reasons, respectively.

As per multiple press reports published in the recent past, the OCA and IOC had imposed the suspension of funds to the NOC last December, which was attributed to severe governance failures.

According to Subramaniam, both the IOC and OCA have clearly informed that those already implicated in corruption will have no alternative but to resign. 

He also warned that the longer it took for this, the country’s participation at future marquee sporting events, such as the Asian Youth Games due this year, would be in jeopardy due to a lack of funds.

Minister of Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage suspended former Secretary General of the NOC Maxwell de Silva in January, following the continued failure to implement the NOC Ethics Committee’s recommendation to suspend the latter over allegations of financial misconduct.

Both the IOC and OCA had repeatedly demanded that the NOC act on its Ethics Committee’s recommendations or face a global sporting ban.

Since his ouster more than two months ago, de Silva has petitioned the Court of Appeal, challenging the Minister’s authority to resort to his actions, with the court instructing the respondents to file objections.

De Silva has named the Sports Minister, Ministry of Sports Secretary Aruna Bandara, NOC Executive Board, NOC Ethics Committee, and Attorney General (AG) Parinda Ranasinghe Jnr. as respondents in his petition. 

(JK)