Sports
Payment of Rs 750,000 to chairman of football election committee probed by COPE
The COPE Committee held yesterday (03) directed their special attention towards the payment of Rs. 750,000 to the Chairman of the Elections Committee for the conduct of football elections and the grant of approval for the payment of Rs. 60,000 to its other members.
Given that no official stated that this was paid at the COPE Committee meeting held on the 22nd of April 2021, the COPE Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath stated that it is suspicious to now state that it was paid on the 20th of April.
The Chair recalled that the COPE Committee had also issued a recommendation to investigate on the mater and take steps to formalize the methodology.
The Committee directed Anuradha Wijekoon, Secretary to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to conduct an internal investigation and submit a report to the Committee within two weeks.
The Committee also paid special attention to the misappropriation of finances by the former President of the Football Federation Mr. Manilal Fernando of 40,400 (Rs.6,287,670) euros donated by the Italian Football Association for the construction of the Kalutara Football Stadium, $ 60,000 (Rs.6,415,290) granted to hold matches by the Asian Football Confederation, A sum of Rs. 10 million provided by a private company for the construction of 20 houses for the tsunami victims and $ 200,000 donated by the Asian Football Confederation.
The Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Charitha Herath, also directed the Secretary to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to conduct an internal investigation into the incident and submit a report to the COPE Committee as soon as possible.
The COPE Committee expressed their displeasure for not recovering Rs. 46,860,672 obtained by the former finance manager of the Football Federation entering fake names as match referees which was revealed in August 2020. The Chairman of the Committee further recommended that the Secretary to the Ministry of Youth and Sports look into this matter and inform the Committee immediately.
It was revealed at the COPE Committee meeting that the total amount of advances given by the Federation to the tournament organizers for sports competitions and sports conferences but not settled was Rs. 2,252,067 in 2018 and Rs. 1,465,997 in 2019.
Also, the COPE Committee informed the Football Federation of Sri Lanka to amend the constitution of the Football Federation as soon as possible.
The Chairman of the Committee Prof. Charitha Herath further stated that the term of office of the office bearers of the Federation should be increased from 01 year to 04 years through these amendments.
The committee pointed out that although 10 members were elected to the executive council of the Football Federation, the chairman appoints 18 other members which is problematic.
The Committee further recommended that the 18 vacancies at present be left vacant until the Constitution of the Football Federation is amended.
The Committee also questioned the Football Federation on their failure to submit an action plan from 2017 to 2020 for approval of the Executive Committee.
Hon. Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Hon. State Minister Indika Anuruddha and Hon. Members of Parliament Rauf Hakeem, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Jagath Pushpakumara, Eran Wickramaratne, Premnath C. Dolawatte, B.Y.G Ratnasekera, S.M. Rasamanickam, Mr. Amal Edirisooriya, Director General of the Department of Sports Development, Mr. Jaswar Umar President of the Sri Lanka Football Federation along with other officials of the Football Federation were present at the meeting.
Latest News
Hasaranga returns to Test squad; set to miss part of IPL
Sri Lanka leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has come out of Test retirement and has been named in the 17-man squad for the two-match series in Bangladesh. Hasaranga had announced his Test retirement in August 2023 in a bid to prolong his white-ball career. Less than a year from the T20 World Cup, he was named the captain of the national side in the shortest format.
However, he has now been included in the Test series that will run from March 22 to April 3, and affect his participation in the Indian Premier League. Should the second Test go on for all five days, Sunrisers Hyderabad – who bagged him for his base price of INR 1.5 Crore – will be without his services for their first three games of the season – on March 23, 27 and 31. Their fourth game – and the last of the first phase of the season – will also be touch and go for the Sri Lankan as it is on April 5.
Hasaranga’s inclusion is one of the two changes that Sri Lanka have made to the squad that played Afghanistan in the one-off Test last month. While Hasaranga and off-spinner Nishan Peiris have been drafted in, there was no place for Asitha Fernando and Milan Priyanth Rathnayake.
The first Test of the series begins on March 22 in Sylhet while the second game will be played in Chattogram from March 30.
Sri Lanka Test squad: Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Mendis,Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Nishan Peiris, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Chamika Gunasekara
Sports
Sri Lanka lose series after another batting flop
Sri Lanka’s batting lacked intent or purpose needed for a series decider as they crashed to a four-wicket loss with 58 ball to spare in the third ODI against Bangladesh in Chittagong yesterday. The series was levelled at 1-1 and with the final game being a day match and dew not affecting teams, the tourists had a fine opportunity but their batting was a huge letdown.
The in form Pathum Nissanka was given out leg before wicket in the second over but didn’t review the decision. Had he done so, the decision would have been overturned.
Avishka Fernando’s horror tour continued as he was dismissed for four. In six innings on this tour, he has crossed double figures only once.
Sadeera Samarawickrama had been dismissed for four single digit scores in his past four games and although he went on to make 14, the team needed much more from him.
Many had expected Kamindu Mendis to replace either Sadeera or Avishka but the selectors opted for the same batting unit.
Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage all threw away their wickets and at 154 for seven, Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel.
If not for Janith Liyanage’s maiden ODI hundred, Sri Lanka would have fared much worse. He shared a 60-run stand for the eighth wicket with Maheesh Theekshana, who was making a comeback to the team.
A total of 235 was way below expectations, especially in a series decider. Although Bangladesh chased it inside 41overs, the scoreboard pressure would have tested the hosts.
Bangladesh bowlers were on the money. Their quicks didn’t send down too many loose balls while the spinners toyed with the Sri Lankans’ patience and were richly rewarded.
Lahiru Kumara kept Sri Lanka interested with career best figures of four for 48 but there was not much support for him.
Maheesh Theekshana once again failed to pick up a wicket. This is the fourth game in a row he had gone without a wicket.
At one point Bangladesh needed 58 with four wickets in hand and Sri Lanka could have still made a game out of it. But Man of the Match Rishad Hossain turned the game on its head with some clean hits smashing 48 off 18 balls. He hit the first ball of his innings for six off Hasaranga and scored 16 runs off the over.
The Bangladeshi leg-spinner sealed the game in his side’s favour when Hasaranga came on to bowl the 40th over of the innings when he scored 24 runs in the first five balls as Sri Lanka suffered an embarrassing defeat.
Sports
Centuries galore as the 119th Lovers Quarrel ends in draw
by Reemus Fernando
The Livers Quarrel Big Match has not witnessed many centuries. According to Big Match suvenier details, there had been only 16 centuries from both Richmond and Mahinda in its history of more than hundred years. This year when the arch rivals met in the 119th edition at the Galle International Stadium there were three centuries as the match ended in a draw.
In reply to Mahinda’s 169 runs, Richmond reached 270 for six wickets declared as open batsman Chehan Subasinghe and Malsha Tharupathi scored centuries. Subasinghe was trying to anchor the innings when three of their top order batsmen failed to reach double figures. Subasinghe put on a fifth wicket stand of 149 runs with skipper Tharupathi. Subasinghe’s knock (in 206 balls) included just five fours. Tharupathi’s knock was a complete contrast as he hammered nine fours and four sixes in his 111 runs. The Sri Lanka Under 19 player’s knock came in 74 balls.
Mahinda had a deficit of 101 runs when they commenced the second innings. Stage was ideally set for someone to produce a match saving innings. It came from none other than their skipper Dinura Kalupahana who was the top scorer for Sri Lanka Under 19s at the recently held ICC Youth World Cup. Kalupahana top scored with 124 runs inclusive of 16 fours. He used 145 balls. He was involved in a huge first wicket stand of 172 runs with Tharusha Dilshan who made 63.
Kalupahana’s 124 runs is the third highest individual score by a Mahinda batsman behind P.H.K.H Ranasinghe’s 162 (1972) and Sirisena Hettige’s 155 in 1939. According to Mahinda statistics Kalupahana is the sixth batsman from his school to score a century in the Big Match in the 119 year old history.
For Richmond it was the century number 12 and 13 as they ended more than six-year wait for a century.
Tharupathi won the Man of the Match award, While Subasinghe walked away with the Best Batsman award, off spinner Kaveesha Induwara was given away the Best Bowler award. Mahinda wicket keeper Hareen Achintha won the Best Fielder award.
-
Sports2 days ago
Pushpakumara, Herath win Cross Country Championships
-
Features7 days ago
What conspiracy?
-
News4 days ago
Engineer brain drain not second to other professionals leaving the country
-
Business3 days ago
Pho Vietnam Restaurant Launches Authentic Banh Mi in Sri Lanka
-
Life style3 days ago
Diversity and inclusion in the eyes of female leadership
-
News7 days ago
Female engineering student among six Peradeniya undergraduates to climb Mount Everest
-
Business4 days ago
Unilever and IDB partner to uplift SMEs and livelihoods
-
Midweek Review7 days ago
Impact of Ukraine war on Sri Lanka and other matters