Netball Federation to hold SGM Netball Federation to hold SGM

Agenda of SGM yet includes Constitutional amendments

By Susil Premalal and Harsha Amarasinghe

The Ministry of Sports has granted the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka (NFSL) to conduct the scheduled Special General Meeting (SGM) tomorrow without making proposed Constitutional amendments before the impending Annual General Meeting (AGM) which has to be held before August 31.

“The Sports Ministry has given us the green light to hold the SGM on condition any Constitutional amendments will be withdrawn from the agenda. We have already made arrangements to hold the SGM under the supervision of the Sports Ministry’s netball representative Tamara Paragodaliyanage at the Sports Ministry Auditorium,” NFSL Secretary Champa Gunawardena told the Daily Mirror yesterday.

Commenting further, Gunawardena said “Among the Constitutional amendments were inducting two new associations - Beach Netball and Masters Netball – as affiliates of the NFSL in addition to appointing an Election Committee before the election of office-bearers at the AGM of the Netball Federation.

However, the Sports Ministry has directed the NFSL to go ahead with the SGM without taking up proposed Constitutional amendments on the agenda but allowed them to accept the two new associations as affiliates.
The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs on June 3 released an official statement to all the sports bodies instructing not to make any amendments to their respective Constitution as per ‘section 39-1 of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973.’

As a result of which Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) who had scheduled an SGM for June 19, officially postponed the event respecting the instructions from the Ministry.

“The date for the Special General Meeting with regard to the resolution which was submitted and tabled at the Council Meeting held on 28th May 2020 where a date was fixed for the SGM on 19th June 2020 will be postponed to a date after the Election/AGM and will be informed in due course,” SLR informed its Council Members via e-mail.

“We are aware that once the Election Committee for the AGM is appointed, we can’t make any Constitutional amendments.” 

“That is why we wanted to amend the Constitution first and then appoint the Election Committee. However, the Sports Ministry has given permission to recognise the two new associations,” said the NFSL Secretary. 
The two new associations will be affiliated to the NFSL but without voting rights.

“The world body governing netball changed its name from ‘International Federation of Netball Associations’ to INF (International Netball Federation) by a Constitutional amendment. In line with these changes, we also decided in January to rename our governing body as the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka. We had circulated proposed amendments to the District Associations’ months ahead of the meeting.” 

“They had even given their consent to the proposed Constitutional amendments. However, it was delayed because of the Coronavirus and ongoing Court case against the NFSL. The case against the NFSL is due for hearing again on June 15,” added Gunawardena.

Another source of the NFSL claimed that the main body is yet to officially communicate to the membership of its decision to remove the Constitutional amendments from the agenda circulated on the June 11 SGM.  

When contacted by Daily Mirror K. D. S. Ruwanchandra, Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs insisted that a direct violation of Sports Ministry’s instruction could result in a hefty ban.

“They could hold SGM or whatever they like but they cannot make amendments to the Constitution that will see them face suspensions. Either the Federation could be banned or certain office bearers could be banned for several years,” Ruwanchandra told Daily Mirror.