A complete overhaul is a must - Robert Peiris

Football veteran Robert Peiris, one of the founders of Renown Sports Club and Academy, a leading club in existence for over four decades, outlined the importance of ‘looking with a broader vision to stabilize the game of football in Sri Lanka’. Peiris, a former Vice President of Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) and a football administrator with a clean record, stressed that the focus should be on grassroots level, if the world’s most popular game is to cement a better standard in our island.

“Already we are at rock bottom and there has to be a complete overhaul. We have to prioritise junior and schools football with residential academies and football schools being a must. We have to get back spectator interest in the sport and likewise must create an industry so that the school kids and players can have different pathways to succeed through football as a player, referee, administrator or an analyst. Simply organising political football carnivals won’t do anymore, that is where the money is squandered,” Peiris stated passionately.

The fact that the standard of football in Sri Lanka has declined over the past decades, has worried the patriarch of Renown SC, the first club from Sri Lanka to win an international tournament.

Though he was once part of the now strong faction led by former FFSL President Jaswar Umar, Peiris pointed out that it’s premature to support a group given the previous records of the candidates involved for the upcoming elections of FFSL to be held on September 29.

But he charged that the former administration led by Umar was not transparent and indulged in corruption through various means. Peiris doubted that even if Umar and his faction gets elected for another term, an implosion within the faction was inevitable before long!

“I have been with the people who again want to come back into power. All these years it has been empty promises, even though there were funds from FIFA and AFC. If we give them the opportunity again, they are going to do the same. I am pretty sure within three months they will be fighting amongst themselves and football in Sri Lanka will suffer for another four years. I left the FFSL having seen close-up the absolute corruption that took place and has been highlighted by the very people who are holding hands now,” he pointed out.

However, Peiris has indicated his preferred allegiance to Dacshitha Sumathipala, the current President of Anuradhapura Football League, whose nomination for the presidency of FFSL was rejected by the Election Committee, along with three others from the same faction. He prefers to be identified as an ‘independent’ individual who does not belong to any group, but said that he is in search of a ‘good future administration’.

“The Unity Top Team are all tried and failed leaders.”

“With this new group, I believe that most of them have no personal agendas and want football in Sri Lanka to develop. As a fellow lover of football, I humbly request that we keep aside our differences and work together as we have to educate the league officials. Because at the end of the day, it is their votes that will decide who we will elect.”

Peiris, who has contributed to football, notably to operate junior and schools football competitions, when that sector was overlooked by many is a keen promoter of the junior segment of football. He has personally supported junior and schools football development over the past few years by coming forward to sponsor the AllIsland Football Tournaments for boys and girls of the age categories of Under-14, Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20. He was humble enough not to grab the spotlight, but pleaded with known benefactors to come forward to help the junior and schools football. His appeal was entertained by Sumathipala, which is why Peiris has a positive impression of this gentleman.

“He (Sumathipala), as a former player and successful businessman, wants to do something good for football in Sri Lanka. He has a mindset, using his own money to do something good for football and these are the people we have to encourage as their goal will be to develop football, rather than swindle the funds we receive, stressed Peiris, attributing that the change all seek will come from Sumathipala.