A unified media discussion was held yesterday with the participation of 27 sports associations affiliated with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) to address and discuss the ongoing issues within the Committee.
Chandana Liyanage, the Deputy Secretary of the National Olympic Committee and President of the National Netball Federation, stated that the objective of the discussion was to clarify the current challenges faced by the NOC and the reasons behind them.
He further explained that a major issue stems from the failure of Chairman Suresh Subramaniam, who came to power through the 2018 elections, to fulfill his promise of granting positions to national associations. Additionally, Liyanage pointed out that the proposal to amend the constitution on June 14, 2023, allowing the chairman to secure a third term, sowed the seeds of the current crisis.
Jaswar Umar, the President of the Sri Lanka Football Federation, also expressed his views, stating that as a major association, it is the duty and responsibility of the Football Federation to intervene in the conflict between the Chairman and the Secretary of the NOC. He further alleged that the current Chairman has disregarded the constitution of the Committee.
Additionally, Umar accused the incumbent Chairman of portraying a negative image of Sri Lanka to the International Olympic Committee.
