Did CMSC contravene the sports law?
The Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC), which boast a history of 80 plus years of motor sports in Sri Lanka, will face an inquiry next week for gross violation of the Sports Law and not following proper selection process in sending a team to represent the ASN of Sri Lanka.
Saman Bandara, the Director General of Sports has summoned CMSC after a complaint made by Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR) about the matter to the Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekera.
The Gazette Notification published in February, 2017 states "Every registered National Association of Sports shall have power to register with their respective international Federation or Association. No other Affiliates, Clubs and other organisation engaged in particular sports shall be entitled to register with respective International Federation or Association" and CMSC has violated this clause by holding in to its affiliation to Federation of International Automobile Sports (FIA), the world governing board for automobile sports.
CMSC as the affiliated body to FIA has sent a team representing the ASN of Sri Lanka for the Asian Auto Gymkhana competition held in Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand last year. This is a FIA sanctioned championship with FIA funding and competitors are being given vehicles to drive and some of the participation costs are subsidised. CMSC has sent a team without proper selection process and some of the competitors and managers are close allies of the CMSC leadership according to SLARDAR.
"One competitor even didn’t turn up for one of the events and this resulted in the Sri Lankan team losing out in the championship. This inappropriate action deprived a great opportunity for talented young drivers of the country and also Sri Lanka couldn’t perform well as a country," a SLARDAR statement states.
"On another instance CMSC has sent a team of officials for a training session in Korea last year. This was for senior race officials and team sent was again few handpicked individuals who are close allies of CMSC leadership team and some of them were not even officiated at local events."
SLARDAR claims that at both instances selection process was not transparent and it was not opened to wider motorsports community of the country.
"It’s a very unethical conduct and nepotism from the oldest motor sports club of the country which has a rich history and heritage."
Historically, CMSC organised and conducted major events but since of late it has confined its event portfolio only to Mahagastota Hill Climb.
SLARDAR on the other hand changed the landscape of Motor Sports in Sri Lanka in two instances in the past has come forward again to break in since its inception in 1980s. They boast of conducting themselves in the best interest of racing drivers and riders while making a hallmark in the history of motor racing by introducing Foxhill Super Cross in 1993. The Foxhill is the first purpose built gravel motor race track in Sri Lanka and over the years it has become the flagship event of the country.