Recently Sri Lanka Sports Ministry achieved an incredible feat by getting parliamentarian approval on the prevention of offences relating to Sports bill. At the same time, the ministry successfully implemented Anti Doping Law and Anti Corruption law in the island, this become the first Asian country to implement these Laws. And now, the ministry is looking after its main target – Amendments in the Sports Law.
Cricket Age understands that the legal team of the ministry, under the supervision of legal advisor Panduka Keerthinanda, is in the final stage in amending the Sports Law.
So far, Country’s Sports Law Act 25 of 1973 gas been amended three times – in 1988, 1993 and 2005.
More significantly, this time, country’s Sports Law will be amended as per the ICC, IOC and all other International Sports governing bodies.
If it happens, with the ongoing process took establish an arbitration centre in the country as well, Sri Lanka will unarguably become a trendsetter in the South Asian region in making Sport Corruption free in true sense.
“Our goal is to make Sri Lanka a sorting hub with all these Law’s. With the establishment of Arbitration centre, Sri Lanka will achieve that goal in subcontinent” a top Sports Ministry official told Cricket Age.
As per the proposed amendments, an independent Sports arbitration centre will be implicated. In another, and perhaps the most, significant change, Sports minister’s political interference power will be reduced. Also, free and fair Sports culture will be introduced.
In recent times, Sri Lanka cricket has been marred with match fixing allegations, corruption charges and top administrator’s involvement in betting and gambling business.
The proposed amendments in the Sports Law will ensure corruption free environment for Sports in the country. The onus is on the newly appointed Sports Minister Dullas Alahapperuma and Ministry’s legal team to carry forward the good work!
