On Thursday, FIFA’s congress upheld its decision to suspend Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from voting during its elections.
In January it was announced that 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.
FIFA maintained that 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.
Read more here and here.
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.
