News
Opposition Leader piles on evidence against SLC President for betraying the country
By Saman Indrajith
Opposition SJB leader Sajith Premadasa on Saturday told Parliament that the International Cricket Council imposed a suspension on Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership on the basis of a series of lies.Premadasa said that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva had sent a letter to the ICC alleging that the Sports Ministry had made undue interference in SLC’s activities.
Tabling the letter, the Opposition Leader said the letter sent to ICC Chairman Greg Barclay on August 28, 2023 contained five allegations and an additional point.
He said the letter had levelled allegations against the Sports Ministry claiming that the Director General of Sports had unduly influenced cricket tournaments in the country, that the Sports Ministry secretary had requested salaries paid to the office bearers of the SLC, that the Sports Minister had influenced the SLC to obtain permission to hold the LPL tournament, that the Sports Minister had influenced to draft the SLC Constitution and that the draft audit report had been leaked.
The charge against the Sports Ministry and Director General of Sports intervening in tournaments is a lie, Premadasa said. Cricket tournaments are held in four levels namely; Tier B, Tier A, Governor and Premier. It goes up on the basis of merit. The SLC suspended this merit system for a short period during which they formed many clubs and settled players in them to secure the votes of those clubs in the next election for office bearers.
As we know that there are only around 30 clubs that actually play cricket. Others are namesake clubs. The questioning by the Sports Director General of the activities that took place during that short period the SLC suspended the merit system has been misinterpreted by SLC as an undue intervention.
The information pertaining to salaries and allowances paid to the SLC officials had been sought by the Ministry in order to provide an answer to a question that had been raised in Parliament. The SLC has not submitted those details to this House and described seeking that information as an undue political intervention.
The third charge by the SLC is that a pressure exerted by the Sports Minister to obtain permission for the LPL tournament. The LPL tournament has been held without the ministry’s permission which is needed to ensure the security of the players and to ensure that the tournament would be held within regulations such as anti-doping laws. This has been interpreted as an attempt to interfere with SLC matters. This LPL was sponsored by questionable sponsors. The main sponsor was a financial institution by the name of MTFE banned by the Central Bank. There is another sponsor by the name of 1XBet, which is an online gambling firm. And another by the name of Bet365, a betting company. The ministry questioning these irregularities has been described as intervention.
The fourth charge was alleged interference in the drafting of the SLC Constitution. Who was preparing this constitution? It was not the minister or his ministry but the former veteran players namely Muttiah Muralitharan, Sidath Wettimuny and Michael Tissera. This attempt has been interpreted as political interference.
The SLC letter to ICC contains another accusation – leaking of the draft audit report. Their allegation was that the draft audit report contained matters detrimental to the SLC. Now the final audit report has come. The final audit report is far more damaging than the draft report. So how does the SLC say that the draft report has been detrimental and describe it as a political interference?
Premadasa said the letter contained one additional point which said the Sports Minister influenced the SLC to contribute 20 percent of the SLC funds to the National Sports Fund. There is nothing abnormal in this request. In India too the same happens. Indian Cricket gives 20 percent of their funds to develop other sports.
The Opposition Leader said these allegations and another communiqué sent earlier had created the atmosphere for the ICC to impose the ban on Sri Lanka Cricket.
He said this is a betrayal of Sri Lanka Cricket by its president and demanded action against him.Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga said it was serious when the Opposition Leader had revealed it with written evidence and requested the Speaker to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee to look into the allegations.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
