- Sports Ministry DG defers AGM indefinitely
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Sri Lanka Athletics for 2025-27, which was originally scheduled to be held yesterday (18) at the Auditorium of the Public Library in Colombo 7, has been postponed indefinitely, a source from the SLA confirmed to The Daily Morning Sports.
This has been following intervention from Sports Ministry Acting Director General (DG) V. Premachandran.
He had instructed the game’s local governing body, to defer the election, till such time several objections received regarding the composition of the Election Committee (EC) and the suitability of certain candidates to contest it, were examined thoroughly and relevant issues resolved.
The source from Sri Lanka Athletics stated that the new date for its election will be officially announced by the Sports Ministry DG in due course.
The Election Committee formed by the SLA and headed by retired High Court Judge Wimal Nambuwasam, had previously rejected the nomination of Dr. Dhammika Senanayake of the Institute of Sports Medicine, to contest the post of Secretary at its AGM.
This was allegedly over his failure to submit his Assets and Liabilities Declaration along with his nomination.
However, Dr. Senanayake had subsequently resubmitted his nomination along with the completed Assets and Liabilities Declaration, with a receipt of Rs. 25.000 to the Election Appeal Consultant Committee.
He had reportedly argued that the dismissal of his nomination was unlawful, prompting the Election Appeal Consultant Committee to instruct the Election Committee to accept his nomination again.
Meanwhile, a few other objections had also been submitted to the Election Committee, linked to the suitability of certain officials to sit on it, along with a few others challenging the suitability and qualifications of certain candidates to vie for various posts at its AGM, in the first place.
The source from the SLA added that taking these protests on board, the Sports Ministry DG had informed them to put off the election which was slated for yesterday, till such time the issues are sorted out.
Asked how long it will take for the announcement of the new date for the SLA election, the source noted that it’s a decision that has to be taken by the Sports Ministry Director General, and said they will have to bide their time, till it is officially conveyed to them by him.
It is also understood that the Executive Committee of the SLA had submitted a letter to Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage last week, requesting him to postpone the AGM originally fixed for yesterday for 90-days, till such time the objections received over certain nominations are examined by the EC.
They had urged the minister concerned also to look into the failure of SLA to nominate a representative for the Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, when holding an AGM of a national sporting body, as per the new regulations gazetted and introduced to the Sports Law last May.
Furthermore, protests have also been received over how a trainer of a local athlete could submit a nomination for the election, and to look into the qualification and composition of the three-member EC formed by the SLA.
Ex-national coach and President of the sport’s domestic ruling body Sunil Gunawardena, along with theNational Selection Committee Head and retired DIG Upali Kumarasiri and incumbent head of the Mercantile Athletics Federation K. A. Prasanna Indika, had submitted their nominations to contest the Presidency of the now postponed AGM of the SLA.