by Sirinama Rajapakse

Subsequent to the order issued by the Prime Minister to relevant authorities to provide a report after inquiring into the activities of the National Olympic Committee, various opinions were expressed regarding the list of names of people who participated at the Rio Olympics and the fact that the Secretary of the National Olympic Committee has not revealed the complete list of names he has in his possession that has become a serious problem and a topic of conversation.

After we revealed how the trip to the Rio Olympics became another Olympic Pilgrimage, the Prime Minister of this country has focused his attention on this and ordered the officials of the Sports Ministry to hold an immediate investigation, the Minister in Charge of the subject of Sports remained silent because he was of the opinion that he could not carry out an investigation against the National Olympic Committee (NOC). Anyhow, in relation to the trip to the Rio Olympics, a group consisting of thirty had been approved by the Ministry of Sports and in addition to that list of names it is clear that there is another list in the possession of the NOC with names of individuals which are difficult to reveal.

We say this because; the list of thirty names publicized by now does not include the names of people who were taken on the trip by the NOC under the pretext of coaches, journalists and other positions. This list of thirty names comprise of 6 NOC officials, 9 sportsmen and women, 8 coaches and 7 journalists. Further the Secretary of the NOC had grabbed the position of the Head of the Sri Lanka team and prepared the Olympic Pilgrimage and mislead the Ministry of Sports as we have got to know.

Anyhow, the Secretary of the Ministry of Sports R. B. Ratnayake who expressed his views on the fact that Prime Minister’s office had asked about it from the NOC and we too sent a letter to the NOC yesterday (30) requesting that a list of all the identity cards prepared by the NOC in order to enable travel to the Olympics.

Accordingly, he said that the list of names approved by the Ministry for participating at the Olympic Games was sent over to the Prime Minister’s office. The Ministry Secretary further said. “It is only a reply we send to an inquiry generally made from an office. We sent the list we had in our possession. We do not know whether there is any other change made to that list. I have asked the Prime Minister’s office as well as the NOC about it. Anyhow, we too sent a letter to the NOC yesterday (30) requesting that a list of all the identity cards prepared by the NOC in order to enable travel to the Olympics.

But following these comments from the Secretary, Prime Minister had called for explanations from the Secretary stipulating the grounds on which he attempted to clear the NOC of allegations to this effect at a time that the investigation ordered by the Premier was still pending.
A senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office said the Prime Minister does not act directly at secretarial level and had hence, not called for a verbal explanation from Dissanayake.

While noting that the previous report on the NOC’s role in Rio de Janeiro was called after senior government consultants had pointed out to the PM that their performances were not satisfactory, the PMs’ official said the Prime Minister will take a decision about the Ministry Secretary in relation to his conduct after his return from Singapore.

However, to the question whether, in addition to the list of thirty names approved by the Ministry of Sports, whether a list of names comprising of Coaches, other officials in other positions and journalists who went to Rio is with the NOC or not, Dissanayake said expressing his views that there is some sort of a question regarding that. He said he cannot say anything about it properly as yet. However, he said he did not see any error in the number of individuals who travelled the Rio Olympics. We are expecting a reply to the letter we sent to the NOC asking about this. If we do not receive a reply, we will have to inquire further into the matter in the future, he said.

However there is no doubt that the present Olympic Authorities, who have postponed the NOC elections pointing out the conflict between the Sports Act and the International Olympic Committee Constitution, will try to depict that the justified intervention of the Prime Minister is also political interference.

Even prior to this they avoided the problems that occurred at the NOC and saved their own skins by carrying tales to the International Olympic Committee, saying that ‘the politicians in our country are interfering with the National Olympic Committee.’ However since the word ‘national’ has been affixed in front of the words Olympic Committee, the National Olympic Committee is subject to the Sports Act of this country. What everyone should understand is that, even a person who goes to the Olympic Games should receive signed approval from the country’s Ministry of Sports.

Courtesy:Ceylon Today