Incompetent NOC, SLR, Sports Ministry Cost Tuskers Spot Sri Lanka Kicked Out of Asia Games Rugby 7s

By Harsha Amarasinghe 

Sri Lanka was kicked out of Asia Games Rugby 7s as the official tournament draw was announced yesterday with Nepal taking the Tuskers spot despite a failed attempt from National Olympic  Committee (NOC) at the eleventh hour. 

Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) Executive Director Hasan Sinhawansa last month stated how they are working closely with the Ministry of Sports and NOC in order to bring rugby back to its glory days. In fact they even announced a 38-member provisional squad with Kandy fly-half Tarinda Ratwatte being named as the captain. But these incompetent officials failed to submit the appropriate documentation on time which saw Sri Lanka chances of taking part in the tournament vanishing into thin air. 

After the draw for the Asia Games Rugby 7s was made official on Tuesday (22) with Nepal taking Sri Lanka’s place, the 
NOC officials made a wild attempt sneak into the competition by asking Nepal to withdraw, but the fast-developing rugby nation - Nepal with its Rugby Director who is a former Sri Lanka and Kandy Captain goes by the name of Sean Wijesinghe said ‘No Thank You!’

It’s an utter disgrace that such administration blunders take place at this level costing  Sri Lanka players such a high-profile tournament after everything they have been through in the last few years. The Ministry of Sports and this so called Stabilization Committee had just one goal which is to throw former SLR President Rizly Illyas under the bus for every single matter. Poor-fellow Illyas finally resigned from his post, but when does this Sports Minister quit his job? Without any shadow of doubt this has got to be the worst Sports Minister in the history of Sri Lanka looking at where rugby as well as football stand right now. 

Ultimately Sri Lanka rugby players are now set to pay the price once more as it’s just another bad day at office for administration.