FIFA, AFC to discuss lifting of international ban on July 10: Sports Minister

Minister Roshan Ranasinghe (c) speaking to the media

Officials from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are expected to meet Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe and top level officials from the ministry via zoom on July 10, in order to discuss the lifting of the international ban currently imposed on Football Sri Lanka (FSL).
The minister and several other officials travelled to FIFA’s Switzerland headquarters last week to request a meeting with officials from the sport’s world governing body in order to resolve the issues that led to this ban. 

The trip to Switzerland came as a slap in the face to the Minister who had to travel all the way to Zurich to request this meeting, having reneged on assurances he gave FIFA officials regarding the reforming of FSL’s governance structure to meet the statutes mandated by the world governing body of football when its officials visited the island last year. 

“Their biggest request has been to ensure that elected office bearers serve a four-year term, and that the voting process be through a secret ballot. They have also mandated that a Chief Executive Office be appointed to replace the post of Secretary General,” the Minister said at a media briefing yesterday. 
“FIFA has requested that these changes be incorporated into the FSL constitution as far back as 2014, but since then none of the sports ministers have implemented these changes,” the minister charged against his predecessors.

“Unfortunately, today the word of 100 thieves is taken as more credible than the truth spoken by two individuals, and that is the same situation that led to Sri Lanka Rugby being banned by World Rugby,” the Minister said. 
“I am confident that there will be a resolution to this issue and that the FIFA ban will be lifted soon,” the Minister added.
(SP)