FIFA has suspended Sri Lanka following "undue interference by a third party" during an election conducted by the federation.
The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) has been suspended, barring FFSL representatives and the national team from participating in international competitions. The Ministry of Sports introduced a raft of regulations that reportedly compromised the autonomy and independence of national sports bodies, including the FFSL.
Sri Lanka must meet the following conditions for the suspension to be lifted,
Official and written exemption from the current national sports law to be legally granted to the FFSL/Sri Lankan football in order to guarantee the recognition and implementation of the newly adopted FFSL Statutes (22 September 2022).
The FFSL administration to be fully in charge of the FFSL’s daily affairs until a new FFSL Executive Committee is elected because the elections of 14 January 2023 are not recognised by either FIFA or the AFC.
Elections for a new FFSL Executive Committee to be organised as per the newly adopted FFSL Statutes (22 September 2022), especially by secret ballot and for a four-year mandate.
Namal Rajapaksa, was formerly the minister for Youth and Sport, resigning in 2022 following the ousting of the sanctioned war criminals Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka is currently ranked 207th out of 211th in the Fifa Mens World rankings. During his tenure, in 2021 he pushed to host the ‘Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Trophy’ which saw Bangladesh, Maldives and Seychelles compete to win the "Mahinda Rajapaksa Trophy" - named after the sanctioned prime minister. It was also during his tenure that in 2020, The Sri Lankan army intervened against a local Tamil football team in Valvettithurai, claiming that their team logo resembles that of the roaring tiger seen in the Tamil Eelam national flag. The Delta Super Kings - caught the attention of the Sri Lankan security forces who intervened and prevented the team from hoisting or displaying their flag.
Read more at FIFA
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
