Sports
Failure to submit accounts could put SLC top brass in trouble

The warning signals are there for the top brass of Sri Lanka Cricket with President Shammi Silva, Secretary Mohan de Silva and Treasurer Lasantha Wickremasinghe all becoming ineligible to contest this year’s AGM for failure to submit SLC’s accounts in time.
For the financial year ending on the 31st of December, SLC was supposed to submit audited and approved accounts to Auditor General’s Department in two months time which was 28th of February. Although the board had submitted the accounts on the 25th of February, now that the Attorney General’s department has confirmed that the Executive Committee’s term had ended on the 20th of February, it has been argued that what has been submitted is not valid accounts.
Colts Cricket Club is taking the fight onto the current SLC administration with firm backing from first Test captain Bandula Warnapura. Former Secretaries of SLC K. Mathivanan and Nishantha Ranatunga are representing the interests of Colts and member clubs.
A committee to run cricket affairs is expected to be appointed shortly by the Ministry of Sports after the AG’s department concluded that the Executive Committee’s term is over. SLC’s elections will be held in May.
Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa treating the current administration with kids’ gloves despite numerous failures which includes lying to him has raised many eyebrows in cricket circles but it has been also claimed that the Minister has been out of Colombo and was unable to attend to matters.
SLC was badly exposed at a recent COPE meeting unable to answer the questions posed by the Parliamentary watchdog.
Rajapaksa now has two options until the elections – either to appoint Ministry Secretary as Competent Authority to run the affairs of SLC or to appoint an Interim Committee.
Cricket observers pointed out that it was the perfect time for the Minister to appoint an Interim Committee comprising men of integrity and bring in much needed constitutional reforms for the sport that has suffered many setbacks in recent years.
SLC sources meanwhile said that they will take legal action if the top brass of the board is prevented from contesting this year’s election. However, it remains to be seen how violating the constitution can be defended in a court of law although some of the nation’s leading lawyers have been hired by the board in recent months.
Sports
Track and field action from Diyagama

The Track and Field season commenced with some of the best athletes in the senior and Under 20 age categories producing notable performances during the two-day Junior and Senior Selection Trial concluded at Diyagama on Tuesday. Here are some action pictures from the day two of the event.
(Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
Sports
Dharshana’s false start dampen an otherwise remarkable day

by Reemus Fernando
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana gave athletics fans both joy and heartache on an otherwise remarkable day as the Junior and Senior Track and Field trials concluded with a number of athletes achieving their personal bests at Diyagama yesterday.
Athletics analysts were waiting for Dharshana to reach his personal best in the men’s 400 metres final after the Army athlete produced the best performance in the heats where as many as five athletes clocked sub 47 seconds. When Dharshana followed up his 200 metres winning time of 21.12 seconds with a feat of 46.43 seconds in the 400 metres many expected him to produce a sub 46 seconds performance in the final.
But the shocking foul start meant that he will have to wait for more than a month to test his true potential. Incidentally, Kalinga Kumarage, who was off-colour in the heats (47.51 secs – second in heat 3) won the final with a feat of 46.27 seconds. However, 100 metres sprinter Medhani Jayamanne who was disqualified for a foul start in the women’s 100 metres heats was not so unlucky, as athletics officials gave her an opportunity to compete in the women’s 100 metres final, though her place was (2nd) not recognised. She clocked 12.16 seconds in the final.

Chamod Yodasinghe reached his personal best to win the men’s 100 metres.
In Dharshana’s absence four others, namely, Kumarage, R.N. Rajakaruna, Dinuka Deshan and Pabasara Niku clocked sub 47 seconds.
In the corresponding women’s 400 metres, schoolgirl Tharushi Karunaratne continued to shock her senior counterparts. Having won the women’s 800 metres on day one, the Ratnayake Central prodigy also bagged the 400 metres victory as she clocked 53.41 seconds to beat Asian Championship participant Nadeesha Ramanayake.
- Aruna Dharshana, who produced the fastest time in the heats was disqualified in the final for a foul start. Dharshana is disappointed after official Rohan Stanley showed him the red card. (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
- Rumeshika Ratnayake won the women’s 100 metres.
In the men’s 100 metres Chamod Yodasinghe reached his personal best as he clocked 10.37 seconds to win the final.
In the women’s 100 metres final, Rumeshika Ratnayake clocked 12.01 seconds to win running against the wind (-2.9). In the heats, she clocked sub 12 seconds.
In the morning, Gayanthika Abeyratne finished the women’s 1500 metres just three seconds shy of her national record mark as she clocked 4:12.53 seconds to win closely followed by steeplechase national record holder Nilani Ratnayake. Abeyratne’s national record established last year stands at 4:09.12 seconds.
In the Under 20 age category events Malith Yasiru produced the second-best performance of the Asian region in the Under 20 boys’ triple jump this year when he cleared a distance of 15.43 metres to win the event.
Sports
Sri Lankan sailing teams compete in Pakistan

The Sri Lankan national team of two sailors and one windsurfer, with the Navy team of a sailor and a windsurfer, were invited to participate at the first Chief of Navy Staff International Sailing Regatta 2023 held from March 14 to 20 in Karachi, Pakistan. Twelve countries including Australia, Bahrain, Croatia, Egypt, China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey had sent their teams to Karachi. The Sri Lankan national team consisted of Laser Standard sailor (ILCA 7) NGMU Ghanawardene, Sri Lanka Navy, Priyantha Gunawardene, Sri Lanka Navy participating in the Windsurfing RSX Class and Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4) sailor Tharen Nanayakkara. The Navy team consisted of Laser Standard sailor (ILCA 7) JMPL Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Navy and WAS Weeratunge, Sri Lanka Navy participating in the Windsurfing RSX Class.
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