- President NOCSL sends World Rugby a stern warning regarding SLR's Initial omission from draw
Olympic Council of Asia Acting Director General Vinod Kumar Tiwari writing to Asia Rugby Acting CEO Benjamin Van Rooyen ordered that the Asian Games Men's Rugby Sevens tournament be redrawn and to ensure that Sri Lanka Rugby is included in it.
“It was nice speaking to you this morning. As proposed, I have spoken to both President and Secretary General of NOC of Sri Lanka and they have agreed that the Sri Lankan Rugby team will participate under the OCA Flag. However, should the team win a medal then it will be credited to the Sri Lanka medals tally. We cannot deprive the athletes if they win a medal. Furthermore, I would appreciate it if you could kindly conduct the draw again and include Sri Lanka in it,” Tiwari wrote.
Earlier yesterday (23), National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka Secretary General Maxwell De Silva had issued an official statement after Sri Lanka Rugby had been booted out from taking part at the upcoming Asian Games scheduled to take place in China this coming October.
This is as many media outlets published articles stating that Sri Lanka Rugby had been omitted from the draw held on Monday.
The Secretary General's statement read: “This is to inform that it was sadly noticed Sri Lanka Rugby was not included in the Asian Games Rugby draw done earlier today. Maxwell De Silva the Secretary General of NOC Sri Lanka, had brought this to the attention of Mr. Vinod Kumar Tiwary, Acting Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, which is the authority of the Asian Games. Mr. De Silva was notified that this shall be rectified by tomorrow with a clear warning to Asia Rugby by Mr. Vinod Tiwary.
Further Mr. Vinod had assured that this decision would be reversed soon. However unfortunately the report regarding this published by certain local media is spreading slanderous news about NOC Sri Lanka to the Sri Lankan community. Therefore, NOCSL will officially inform media once the final decision is made by the OCA.”
SLR's membership is currently suspended by the Ministry of Sports of Sri Lanka and continues to labour in an ongoing court battle.
World Rugby in order to protect the Interest of its member SLR also went on to suspend its membership stating that they are doing so due to the political interference it faced.
However World Rugby did permit SLR to take part in the upcoming Asian Games as long as it played under the NOCSL flag.
The NOCSL had gone that extra mile to provide the nation the opportunity of participating at the event and as a matter of fact the team was chosen, captain appointed and even practices were set to begin.
Reliable sources stated that SLR's omission from the draw held yesterday was due to Asia Rugby objecting to SLR participating at the Asian Games.
Reasons according to sources were that SLR had not paid a fine of US $ 10,000 to Asia Rugby for not fielding a womens' team at the 3rd Leg of the concluded Asian Rugby Sevens event held in November 2022.
Officials attached to both SLR and also the NOCSL dispute this claim.
Reliable sources within the NOCSL stated that this matter had been taken up and a stern letter of caution had been sent by its President Suresh Subramaniam to World Rugby regarding this current incident.
However a noteworthy fact that springs to mind is the threat that the AR President Qais Abdallah Al-Dhalai made to a former Minister of Sports in 2018, when the SLR Council chose to caste SLR's vote through the then President Lasitha Gunaratne to the candidate from Japan instead of him during AR presidency elections.
In a threatening letter Qais Al-Dhalai then wrote that SLR will have more to lose if it did not vote for him.