Probe Committee concludes findings over SA Games | Sunday Observer

Probe Committee concludes findings over SA Games

26 January, 2020
From left: Daminda Wijesooriya, Gregory de Silva (Chairman), KDS Ruwanchandra (Secretary of the Ministry of Sports), Elmo Perera (Attorney at Law) and Saman K. Gunawardena
From left: Daminda Wijesooriya, Gregory de Silva (Chairman), KDS Ruwanchandra (Secretary of the Ministry of Sports), Elmo Perera (Attorney at Law) and Saman K. Gunawardena

A Special Committee appointed by KDS Ruwanchandra, the secretary Ministry of Sports, to review the performances of Sri Lankan athletes at the South Asian Games concluded its findings.

The Committee comprised veteran athletes Gregory Silva (Chairperson), Air Marshall Elmo Perera, Saman Kumara Gunawardena and Daminda Wijesuriya.

According to the Committee, several issues were highlighted, especially the fixing of events.

An official who wished to remain unanimous, told the Sunday Observer that the reports by the Committee will be delayed as more athletes and officials of Federations will be questioned in the near future. According to him most of the managers of their respective sports had failed to perform their duties during the Games.

He also blamed the appointment of the coaches who were not qualified enough and revealed that there were lapses in the communication between officials from the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) that caused the raising of issues in Nepal.

The report will be completed during the next couple of weeks and handed over to Ruwanchandra.

Athletes faced many issues during the Games such as accommodation, transportation while venues were not properly done or completed by the host country.

The NOC of Sri Lanka said that the Ministry officials did not communicate to iron out the issues with the organizing committee of Nepal. On the other hand Dhammika Muthugala the Director General of the Ministry slammed the NOC for not living up to expectations.

Both the NOC and the Director General Dhammika Muthugala have being side-stepping issues by blaming each other without considering the welfare of athletes.

 

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