IOC objects to government interference in NOC elections
The International Olympic Committee, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Sports, Mahindananda Aluthgamage has intimated that the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka was an autonomous body with its own constitution and should not have its inner workings governed by the country’s sports laws.
“A National Olympic Committee is not a government entity and must not be treated as such. It is an autonomous organisation with its own legal status, which is primarily governed by the Olympic Charter and its own Constitution,” says the correspondence, obtained by the Sunday Times.
“Its existence, as such, derives primarily from IOC recognition. The IOC is indeed the sole body that is entitled to recognise a National Olympic Committee and to authorise such.”
The statement explains that due to this the Sports Ministry has no authority to directly involve itself in the NOC’s elections, membership selection, internal rules and other operation-
Calling in nominations for the forthcoming elections of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka closed at 4.30pm on Thursday. Accordingly 23 candidates have forwarded nominations for six different posts. The list will be submitted to the NOC Executive Board for scrutinizing and validating on Tuesday according to official confirmation.
Hemasiri Fernando, the incumbent President of the NOC since 1996, has decided not to contest after holding the top position for nearly 17 years. Two top individuals, Parliamentarian Dilan Perera who is also the President of Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation and Rohan Fernando, the President of Sri Lanka Amateur Rowing Association will be competing for the NOC’s top post.
The present Secretary, Maxwell de Silva has shown interest in re-contesting and his rivals will be former secretary H.U. Silva and Akhry Ameen. Nine nominations al processes.
Minister Aluthgamage, confirming that he had received the letter, expressed that he had forwarded it to the Attorney General for advice on how to proceed with his response.
“They have problems especially with the amendments made to have been received for the six Vice President positions and among them are former officials Dian Gomes and Suranjith Premadasa. politician Sarath Ekanayake, Football Federation chief Ranjith Rodrigo and Athletics Association chief Palitha Fernando. Former Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka President and current Secretary of Sri Lanka Golf Union, Ana Punchihewa will compete for one of the two positions of Assistant Secretary. Former ICC Twenty20 World Championship Tournament Director and Badminton Association President Suraj Dandeniya is one of the nominees for the Treasurer’s post.
Rohan Fernando (Rowing Association), Dilan Perera (Volleyball Federation)
Suranjith Premadasa (Equestrian Association), Joseph Kenny (Yachting Association), Deva Henry the Sports Law. When an Act is passed in Parliament, that’s law and anyone functioning here has to work according to the law,” he said.
The minister also added that 80 per cent of the NOC’s funding came from the ministry while only 0.1 per cent was allocated to it
23 CANDIDATES FORWARD NOMINATIONS FOR SIX DIFFERENT POSTS
(Rowing Association), Dian Gomes (Boxing Association), Sarath Ekanayake (Basketball Federation), DIG Sumith Edirisinghe (Hockey Federation), Ranjith Rodrigo (Football Federation), Maj Gen Palitha Fernando (Athletics Association), Poorna Kahingala (Weightlifting Federation)
Maxwell de Silva (Tennis Association), Akhry Ameer (Aquatics Sports Union), Cdr. H.U. Silva (Archery Association)
Lenin Lasantha Tennakoon (Wrestling Federation), Ana Punchihewa (Golf Union), Susil Ranasinghe (Volleyball Federation), Prema Pinnawela (Athletics Association)
Ruwan Keragala (Fencing Association), Gamini Jayasinghe (Hockey Federation), Maj Tharindu Weerasinghe (Judo Association), Suraj Dandeniya (Badminton Association)
Nandana Gamachchige (Taekwondo Association) by the IOC.
NOC Secretary General, Maxwell de Silva, refused to comment on the contents of the letter. However, he did say that his organization was solely responsible for the funding of its daily operations but received financial support from the Sports Ministry when sending teams abroad for competitions such as the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
In the letter, the IOC also extended its views to include the country’s sports federations, highlighting that their “internal operations must be regulated by their respective constitutions in accordance with the rules of the respective International Federations to which they are affiliated.”
“Sports legislation in a country certainly serves to establish a general framework and the interactions between all concerned partners at national level; however, it must not be used to regulate the internal operations or substitute for the respective constitutions of the National Olympic Committee and the national sports federations.
“No national sports organisa- tion is forced to be affiliated to or recognised by the corresponding international sports institutions. However, it is a prerequisite to participate in an international sports event, and if a national sports organisation decides freely to be part of the Olympic Movement at international level it must comply and be in a position to comply with the basic principles and rules of the international sports institutions. If not, there is no way for the country to be represented on the international sports stage,” the document reports.
The IOC also reveals in the letter that it had previously written to the NOC, on March 13 this year, communicating their distress over government interference. A copy of this letter was sent to the Sports Minister.
That complaint was drafted after the IOC tried to express their objections to government involvement in NOC matters both “informally and diplomatically” at the World Sport Convention in Acapulco in 2010 and the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia in Macau in November 2012.