Exposed: Parental interference rocking the cradle of sports

It has being a well-known fact that school sports, like at club and national level, has also become the fiefdom of unscrupulous elements while players have become the pawns of rogue officials and unscrupulous characters and shady influences.

Now, one parent identifying as Sanjeew Perera with a strong backbone and a lion heart has had enough of the frustration and injustice scourging school sports and has decided to blare it all irrespective of whether it calls for action or fall on deaf ears.

The parent, whose child is a basketball player, has in a written statement to the Daily Mirror, lambasted the tragic scenario on parental interference in the win-at-any-cost syndrome.

“There is an increasing and concerning trend of undue parental involvement in school sports, often driven by a “winning at any cost” mentality. This mindset not only undermines the values of sportsmanship but also places unnecessary pressure on young athletes, shifting the focus away from character-building, discipline and respect for the spirit of the game”, the parent conveyed in a letter to the Daily Mirror.

It was in response to a report published in the Daily Mirror on December 15, 2025 under the headline “Schools girls’ basketball finals left in limbo amid repeated postponements.”

The report referred to the postponement of the girls’ Under-15 basketball final of 2024 between St. Bridget’s Convent and Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya which is yet to be played.

The Daily Mirror report also highlighted the postponement of the 2025 Under-17 basketball final between the same two schools with protests, other tournaments, bureaucracy and lethargy attributed to the postponements of both finals causing a grave injustice to players and youth basketball followers in the country and the high anxiety among genuine parents.

The parent further states that while rival players shake hands and hug in the true spirit of sportsmanship after a match, interfering parents are hell bent on influencing match organisers and officials to think otherwise based on evidence that is privately videoed and doctored.

“From our earliest involvement in sports, students are taught a cardinal principle: the referee’s decision is final, regardless of perceived correctness or error. This principle is fundamental to instilling integrity, resilience and respect for authority within sport. 

“If officiating errors occur, they must be addressed through appropriate post-match channels without penalising the players or altering match results.

“If officials are found guilty of misconduct or incompetence, they should be held accountable through disciplinary processes. The athletes, however, must not be made victims of administrative or officiating failures, nor of parental overreach”, the parent’s letter to the Daily Mirror further stated.