By Susil Premalal   

Director General (DG) Sports Development of the Ministry of Sports Professor Shemal Fernando has decided to call for nominations for the three suspended sports associations – netball, cycling and automobile – under the direction of Sports Minister Harin Fernando.   

Therefore, the nominations for the three suspended sports associations will close on June 28, according to the five-member election committee.   

The elections for the three suspended sports associations - netball, cycling and automobile – will be held before the 2024 Paris Olympics Games from July 23 to August 11 in France.   
The elections for the Automobile Association will be held on July 24 while the Netball Association and Cycling Association elections will be held on July 25.   

Retired High Court Judge Sarath Edirisinghe will head the five-member Election Committee and the other members are Padmajina Siriwardena (Retired Additional Secretary), C. Rathnamudali (Retired Director Sports), I. M. Ranasinghe (Senior Lecturer) and N. A. T. Jayasinghe (Retired Superintendent of Police).   

Meanwhile, the Special General Meeting (SGM) for the temporarily suspended Sri Lanka Rugby – facing a World Rugby (WR) suspension - will be held on July 15 at the Duncan White Auditorium of the Ministry of Sports.   

The main purpose of the SGM is to pass the new Constitution prepared under the directions of the WR and Asia Rugby and to conduct the SLR elections as early as possible.   

WR and AR have instructed Sports Minister Harin Fernando that voting rights should be handed over to the respective associations that represent the national players. Meanwhile, some of the inactive associations have already protested the new SLR Constitution. However, legal advice will be sorted out to resolve the matter and the SLR SGM will go ahead on July 15 as scheduled.