Minister Arjuna Ranatunga says that Sri Lanka has a sports law designed to keep them on the right path, but unfortunately the country has not had Sports Ministers who are able to read these laws.

“This country has a sports law, which was introduced in 1973. That law was drafted to keep sports in the right path,” the former Sri Lankan cricket captain said addressing an event held today (1). 

But unfortunately there have not been Sports Ministers in this country who can read this law, which is available in both Sinhala and English languages, he said. 

Giving an example to this, the minister said that the law states that people involved in the media and those directly or indirectly involved in gambling cannot hold office in the various governing bodies of sports. “This is a very easy thing.” 

“Directly or indirectly you can’t get involved in gambling, gaming,” he said.

Ranatunga said he is not very fluent in English, but he clearly understands what the laws say in both languages. 

“However, the Sports Ministers we have had over the recent past do not understand this. That is why we are facing this problem,” he claimed.

He said that according to the law the same applied to those involved in bring in sports equipment. “The beauty of it is that people who do all three of these things are sometimes in administration.” 

The minister said that many of those who helped establish this ‘Yahapalana’ government including him have had to keep their eyes closed and pretend they didn’t hear anything.