Rugby further strangled

The administration of rugby hit further turmoil yesterday when an election of office=bearers to run its affairs was postponed. For nearly two years since the exit of the last elected president Rizly Illyas, Sri Lanka Rugby has functioned without a legitimate set of office-bearers and a sport that was once ruled by gentleman of high quality has been turned into a drifting ship. As a result the election of office bearers scheduled for September 9 has been postponed for a date yet to be announced after the sport’s current government caretakers met yesterday to finalise plans.

The meeting was attended by the Election Commissioner who was appointed by the Sports Ministry early this month to supervise the conduct of the election of office bearers to Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR). The sticking points have not been made known, but it has been reported that the legitimacy of one candidate in the running, Pavitra Fernando a former Sri Lanka player has come under scrutiny. Sri Lanka Rugby is now administered by what is called a Working Task Force set up by the Ministry which disbanded a Competent Authority that took over the administration of rugby after SLR failed to conduct an election of office-bearers under a new Constitution in keeping with the requirements of World Rugby which threatened to ban the island nation if it does not fall in line with the rest of the international fraternity.

The Daily Mirror learns that campaigning had already begun by potential candidates seeking to enter the portals of SLR which in the past was run by high profile administrators in a set up that was free of politics and government interference. The current tussle for office at SLR is being contested by two factions.