Sports Act amendments bar many officials from running for elections

By Susil Premalal

The Ministry of Sports has prevented a large number of high-level officials of many national sports associations operating in this country from running for the 2023 elections.
Accordingly, the selection process for the National Sports Association (NSA) elections related to 2023 will be implemented, and the said elections should be held before May 31.
Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has taken steps to activate the new amendment to the Sports Act that was issued in December 2022 targeting the officials of the NSAs, so a large number of the officials of the NSAs have lost this opportunity to stand for the upcoming elections.

Accordingly, a NSA president and a secretary cannot hold office for more than two terms of two years each, while the age limit for all candidates is 70 years.
They are required to submit assets for nearly three years, and dual citizens are prohibited from holding office.

Among those amendments, persons appointed to the position of treasurer of a sports association must be qualified chartered accountants.

Since Sri Lanka Cricket and Sri Lanka Athletic are engaged in court action against the relevant Gazette announcement, the Director-General says that the amendment will not apply to those associations.

The Acting Director-General, Aruna Muthumala, of the Department of Sports Development issued the circular to all NSAs.