News

FFSL is in a mess!!!

Published

3 years ago

September 26, 2022

Editor

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) has set a date for its elective annual general meeting, but the sports ministry says the decision of the former officials is null and void as the term of office of the current members ended on September 15.

FFSL held an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Thursday at a hotel in the Wattala area with the participation of three foreign representatives. However, a special gazette notification issued on September 17 nullified all decisions taken by sports associations, including the FFSL, after September 15.

The administration has been accused of failing to follow instructions from FIFA, the AFC and the Ministry of Sports and mismanaging funds.

The current FFSL administration managed to pass new constitutional amendments, which were approved by a majority in the presence of foreign observers at the SGM, but all decisions and transactions made by FFSL officials will be recognized as invalid after September 15.

The remarks were observed by SGM South Asia FIFA Regional Office Development Manager, Prince Rufus, FIFA Senior MA Governance Services Manager, Sarah Solemale and Head of South Asia Unit Development and Governance Department, AFC, Parushottam Kattel. An extraordinary gazette notification issued by the Sports Ministry informed FFSL that their existing tenure has been extended till October 30.

However, after the special gazette notification was found to be illegal as it was issued without the valid signature of the sports minister, another special gazette notification was issued cancelling the previous gazette notification which legally made the current FFSL administration a valid entity to operate and govern.

“This is clearly against the law of the game. The current FFSL administration has no mandate to act and act on behalf of the sport,” explained Sri Lanka’s top sports lawyer, Advocate Panduka Keerthinanda.

Keerthinanda clarified that the FFSL extension obtained through a special gazette notification is completely illegal and the FFSL is hiding to play an unlawful game. Even opposition MP Mujibar Rahman, who stated that this special gazette announcement was issued by a top official of the Sports Ministry with the knowledge of the Sports Minister, questioned its validity.

FFSL අවුල් ජාලයක පැටලෙයි!!!

ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය (FFSL) සිය තේරීම් වාර්ෂික මහා සභා රැස්වීම සඳහා දින නියම කර ඇතත්, වත්මන් සාමාජිකයින්ගේ නිල කාලය සැප්තැම්බර් 15 දිනෙන් අවසන් වූ බැවින් හිටපු නිළධාරීන්ගේ තීරණය ශුන්‍ය සහ බල රහිත බව ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය පවසයි.

FFSL විසින් බ්‍රහස්පතින්දා විශේෂ මහා සභා රැස්වීමක් (EGM) වත්තල ප්‍රදේශයේ හෝටලයකදී විදේශ නියෝජිතයින් තිදෙනෙකුගේ සහභාගීත්වයෙන් පවත්වන ලදී. කෙසේ වෙතත්, සැප්තැම්බර් 17 වන දින නිකුත් කරන ලද විශේෂ ගැසට් නිවේදනයක් මගින් සැප්තැම්බර් 15 න් පසු FFSL ඇතුළු ක්‍රීඩා සංගම් විසින් ගනු ලැබූ සියලුම තීරණ බල රහිත කර ඇත.

FIFA, AFC සහ ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය විසින් කලින් ලබා දුන් උපදෙස් පිළිපැදීමට අපොහොසත් වීම සහ අරමුදල් වැරදි ලෙස කළමනාකරණය කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් පරිපාලනයට චෝදනා එල්ල වී ඇත.

වත්මන් FFSL පරිපාලනය නව ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධන සම්මත කර ගැනීමට සමත් වූ අතර, එය SGM හි විදේශීය නිරීක්ෂකයින් පැමිණීමේදී බහුතරයක් විසින් අනුමත කරන ලදී, නමුත් FFSL නිලධාරීන් විසින් ගනු ලබන සියලුම තීරණ සහ ගනුදෙනු සැප්තැම්බර් 15න් පසු වලංගු නොවන බවට හඳුනාගනු ඇත.

SGM දකුණු ආසියාවේ FIFA ප්‍රාදේශීය කාර්යාල සංවර්ධන කළමනාකරු, ප්‍රින්ස් රූෆස්, FIFA හි ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ MA පාලන සේවා කළමනාකරු, Sarah Solemale සහ දකුණු ආසියානු ඒකක සංවර්ධන දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ සහ පාලන දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ ප්‍රධානී AFC, Parushottam Kattel විසින් මෙම ප්‍රකාශ නිරීක්ෂණය කරන ලදී. ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය විසින් නිකුත් කරන ලද අතිවිශේෂ ගැසට් නිවේදනයක් මගින් ඔවුන්ගේ පවතින නිල කාලය ඔක්තෝබර් 31 දක්වා දීර්ඝ කර ඇති බව FFSL දැනුම්දෙන ලදී.

කෙසේ වෙතත්, විශේෂ ගැසට් නිවේදනය ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යවරයාගේ වලංගු අත්සනකින් තොරව නිකුත් කර ඇති බැවින් එය නීතිවිරෝධී බව පෙනී යාමෙන් පසුව, නීත්‍යානුකූලව වත්මන් FFSL පරිපාලනය ක්‍රියාත්මක වීමට සහ පාලනය කිරීමට වලංගු ආයතනයක් බවට පත් කළ පෙර ගැසට් නිවේදනය අවලංගු කරමින් තවත් විශේෂ ගැසට් නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කරන ලදී.

“මෙය පැහැදිලිවම ක්‍රීඩා නීතියට පටහැනි ක්‍රියාවක්. වත්මන් FFSL පරිපාලනයට ක්‍රීඩාව වෙනුවෙන් ක්‍රියා කිරීමට සහ ක්‍රියා කිරීමට කිසිදු ජනවරමක් නොමැත, ”ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ඉහළම ක්‍රීඩා නීතීඥ නීතීඥ පණ්ඩුක කීර්තිනන්ද විස්තර කළේය.

විශේෂ ගැසට් නිවේදනයක් මගින් ලබාගෙන ඇති FFSL දිගුව සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම නීත්‍යානුකූල නොවන බවත් FFSL නීති විරෝධී ක්‍රීඩාවක් කිරීමට සැඟවී සිටින බවත් කීර්තිනන්ද පැහැදිලි කළේය. මෙම විශේෂ ගැසට් නිවේදනය ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යවරයාගේ අනුදැනුමකින් ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ඉහළම නිලධාරියකු විසින් නිකුත් කරන ලද්දක් බව ප්‍රකාශ කළ විපක්ෂ‍යේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී මුජිබර් රහුමාන් පවා එහි වලංගුභාවය ප්‍රශ්න කළේය.

FFSL குழப்பத்தில் உள்ளது!!!

இலங்கை கால்பந்து சம்மேளனம் (FFSL) அதன் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட வருடாந்த பொதுக் கூட்டத்திற்கான தேதியை நிர்ணயித்துள்ளது, ஆனால் தற்போதைய உறுப்பினர்களின் பதவிக்காலம் செப்டம்பர் 15 அன்று முடிவடைந்ததால் முன்னாள் அதிகாரிகளின் முடிவு செல்லாது என்று விளையாட்டு அமைச்சகம் கூறுகிறது.

மூன்று வெளிநாட்டு பிரதிநிதிகளின் பங்குபற்றுதலுடன் வத்தளை பிரதேசத்தில் உள்ள ஹோட்டல் ஒன்றில் FFSL விசேட பொதுக்கூட்டம் (EGM) வியாழக்கிழமை நடைபெற்றது. எவ்வாறாயினும், செப்டம்பர் 17 ஆம் தேதி வெளியிடப்பட்ட சிறப்பு வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தல் செப்டம்பர் 15 க்குப் பிறகு FFSL உட்பட விளையாட்டு சங்கங்கள் எடுத்த அனைத்து முடிவுகளையும் ரத்து செய்தது.

நிர்வாகம், FIFA, AFC மற்றும் விளையாட்டு அமைச்சகம் ஆகியவற்றால் முன்னர் வழங்கப்பட்ட அறிவுறுத்தல்களைப் பின்பற்றத் தவறியதாகவும், நிதியை தவறாக நிர்வகிப்பதாகவும் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது.

தற்போதைய FFSL நிர்வாகம் புதிய அரசியலமைப்பு திருத்தங்களை நிறைவேற்ற முடிந்தது, அவை SGM இல் வெளிநாட்டு பார்வையாளர்கள் முன்னிலையில் பெரும்பான்மையினரால் அங்கீகரிக்கப்பட்டன, ஆனால் FFSL அதிகாரிகளால் எடுக்கப்பட்ட அனைத்து முடிவுகளும் பரிவர்த்தனைகளும் செப்டம்பர் 15 க்குப் பிறகு செல்லாதவையாக அங்கீகரிக்கப்படும்.

SGM தெற்காசியா FIFA பிராந்திய அலுவலக மேம்பாட்டு மேலாளர், பிரின்ஸ் ரூஃபஸ், FIFA மூத்த MA ஆளுகை சேவைகள் மேலாளர், சாரா சோலேமலே மற்றும் தெற்காசிய அலகு அபிவிருத்தி மற்றும் ஆளுகைத் துறையின் தலைவர், AFC, பருஷோத்தம் கட்டேல் ஆகியோர் இந்த கருத்துக்களைக் கவனித்தனர். விளையாட்டு அமைச்சினால் வெளியிடப்பட்ட அசாதாரண வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தல் FFSL க்கு அவர்களின் தற்போதைய பதவிக்காலம் அக்டோபர் 31 வரை நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

எவ்வாறாயினும், விளையாட்டு அமைச்சரின் செல்லுபடியான கையொப்பம் இன்றி வெளியிடப்பட்ட விசேட வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தல் சட்டவிரோதமானது என கண்டறியப்பட்டதையடுத்து, தற்போதைய FFSL நிர்வாகத்தை செயற்படுத்துவதற்கும் ஆட்சி செய்வதற்கும் செல்லுபடியாகும் நிறுவனமாக மாற்றியமைக்கும் முந்தைய வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தலை இரத்துச் செய்து மற்றுமொரு விசேட வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தல் வெளியிடப்பட்டது. .

“இது தெளிவாக விளையாட்டின் சட்டத்திற்கு எதிரானது. தற்போதைய FFSL நிர்வாகத்திற்கு விளையாட்டுக்காகச் செயல்படுவதற்கும், செயற்படுவதற்கும் எந்த ஆணையும் இல்லை” என்று இலங்கையின் உயர்மட்ட விளையாட்டு சட்டத்தரணி சட்டத்தரணி பண்டுக கீர்த்தினந்தா விளக்கினார்.

விஷேட வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தலின் ஊடாக பெறப்பட்ட FFSL நீடிப்பு முற்றிலும் சட்டவிரோதமானது என்றும், FFSL சட்டவிரோதமான விளையாட்டை விளையாட மறைந்திருப்பதாகவும் கீர்த்தினாந்த தெளிவுபடுத்தினார். இந்த விசேட வர்த்தமானி அறிவித்தல் விளையாட்டுத்துறை அமைச்சருக்கு தெரிந்தே விளையாட்டு அமைச்சின் உயர் அதிகாரியொருவரால் வெளியிடப்பட்டதாக தெரிவித்த எதிர்க்கட்சி பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் முஜிபர் ரஹ்மான் கூட அதன் செல்லுபடியாகும் என கேள்வி எழுப்பியுள்ளார்.

Source: Sunday Times

Football

AIFF Faces FIFA, AFC Ban Threat as October 30 Deadline Looms

Published

3 weeks ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Indian football is staring at yet another international suspension as FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have jointly warned the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to ratify its long-pending constitution by October 30, 2025, or risk a complete ban from world football.

In a strongly-worded two-page letter sent on Tuesday (August 26) to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, FIFA and AFC expressed “profound concern” over the failure to finalise and implement a revised constitution, a matter pending before India’s Supreme Court since 2017.

If suspended, India’s national teams and clubs would be barred from all international competitions, while the country’s ambitious 2036 Olympic Games bid in Ahmedabad could also be thrown into uncertainty.

FIFA & AFC Ultimatum

The letter, signed by FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov and AFC Deputy General Secretary Vahid Kardany, set out three urgent requirements for the AIFF:

1. Obtain a definitive Supreme Court order approving the revised constitution.

2. Ensure full compliance with FIFA and AFC statutes.

3. Formally ratify the constitution at the next AIFF General Meeting.

Failure to comply, they warned, would trigger sanctions, including full suspension of AIFF membership.

Previous Suspension in 2022

This is not the first governance crisis to hit Indian football. In August 2022, FIFA suspended the AIFF for “third-party interference” after a court-appointed Committee of Administrators temporarily ran the federation. That ban lasted just two weeks, lifted only after fresh elections were held in which Kalyan Chaubey defeated football legend Bhaichung Bhutia.

Domestic Fallout – ISL in Crisis

The deadlock has already disrupted Indian football at the domestic level. The Indian Super League (ISL), India’s top-tier professional league, has been put “on hold” by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the AIFF’s commercial partner, due to uncertainty over its Master Rights Agreement, which expires in December 2025.

At least three clubs have suspended operations or delayed salaries, while all 11 ISL clubs have warned of an “existential crisis.” Reports from FIFPRO further highlight cases of players’ contracts being terminated, leaving livelihoods at risk.

The Supreme Court of India will hear the matter again on August 28, a session that could determine the immediate future of the ISL and India’s football calendar.

What’s at Stake

If AIFF fails to meet the October deadline, India could lose:

• Participation in FIFA and AFC tournaments.

• Entry rights for national teams and clubs in international competitions.

• Momentum in its 2036 Olympics bid.

• Credibility with players, fans, and commercial partners.

For now, the football fraternity in India waits anxiously for the Supreme Court’s verdict and AIFF’s ability to steer through yet another governance storm

Football

Heritage Derby Trophy Goes to Hameed Al Husseinie College

Published

1 month ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

Colombo – Hameed Al Husseinie College emerged victorious in the prestigious Heritage Derby Trophy football encounter against Zahira College, Maradana, securing a 3–1 win at the Colombo Racecourse grounds yesterday.

The match kicked off under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, adding special significance to this annual football rivalry.

Hameed Al Husseinie College took control early, leading 2–0 at halftime before sealing the victory with a third goal in the second half. Zahira College managed to pull one back, but it was not enough to challenge the dominant performance of the winners.

The trophy presentation was held soon after the final whistle, with the principals of both schools — Rizvi Marikkar of Zahira College and Mrs. Dain of Hameed Al Husseinie College — present to witness the celebrations.

This latest victory adds another chapter to the rich history of the Heritage Derby, further cementing Hameed Al Husseinie College’s reputation in school football.

Football

Exclusive: AFC Fines Sri Lankan Footballer Over “Free Palestine” Message

Published

2 months ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

Colombo – June 13
Sri Lankan national footballer Mohamed Thilham, who recently made headlines after displaying a “PRAY FOR FREE PALESTINE” message on his undershirt during post-match celebrations, has now been officially penalized by international football authorities.

Following Sri Lanka’s 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers on June 10 at the Colombo Racecourse Stadium, Thilham—a non-playing substitute—unveiled the message, drawing both praise and criticism from various quarters.

⚠️ AFC Sanctions Player with USD 2,000 Fine

FIFA, in coordination with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has now issued a formal disciplinary notice to the player, imposing a USD 2,000 fine. This letter, according to sources within the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), was sent addressing to Thilham, underscoring AFC stance on politically charged expressions at official matches.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, players are prohibited from displaying political, religious, or personal slogans during matches or official ceremonies. While Thilham’s gesture occurred after the final whistle, FIFA and AFC treat any action within the stadium environment as part of official conduct.

⚽ FFSL Under Scrutiny for Disciplinary Action

FFSL President Jaswar Umar previously stated that the act “was not authorized by the federation” and “violates international football disciplinary norms.” He also confirmed that the FFSL would take internal disciplinary action against the player.

However, this incident has reignited public debate over the role of athletes in social advocacy and the limits imposed by international sports law. While some supporters see Thilham’s actions as courageous and morally driven, others have raised concerns about the player’s career stability and future opportunities under increasing scrutiny.

📝 Editorial Insight

At Sri Lankan Sports TV, we initially chose to withhold the content of the message in our match coverage—out of responsibility to the player’s career and to respect global sports protocol. However, the message went viral after several social media users circulated the full image, seemingly with the intention of sparking controversy.

The resulting spotlight has unfortunately led to a formal penalty, underscoring the real-world consequences that athletes may face when international regulations intersect with personal conviction.