News

Audit Report Uncovers Financial Mismanagement and Procedural Breaches at Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL)

Published

5 months ago

September 28, 2024

Editor

An audit report conducted by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, dated 20th July 2023, has revealed widespread financial mismanagement within the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL). The audit was initiated following numerous complaints received by the Minister of Sports, Hon. Roshan Ranasinghe, and conducted by a committee comprising B.M.S.S. Basnayake, Chief Internal Auditor of the Sports Development Department (Chairperson), W.P.D.M.J. Perera, Chief Accountant of the Ministry, and B.H. Kalasuriya, Chief Internal Auditor of the Ministry.

The audit focused on five major inquiries, each uncovering serious breaches of financial protocol:

1. Purchase of Zolo Footballs

The FFSL advanced a payment of LKR 12.775 million to Ceylon Professional Sports Management for the purchase of Zolo footballs, violating government tender procedures. The full payment was made without securing a financial guarantee from the vendor, and to date of inquiry, the footballs have not been received.

Committee Recommendations:
The Finance Manager is instructed to demand either the footballs or a refund immediately. Furthermore, since the President’s office was sealed, the committee could not verify whether Executive Committee approval was granted for the payment. Once the new Executive Committee is in place, an inquiry must be made, and if approval was not granted, a complaint should be lodged with the CID.

Editor’s Comment:
How did the Finance Manager approve such a large payment without the Executive Committee’s approval, and why has no action been taken against the former President, who was reappointed despite these allegations?

2. Ceylon Provincial League 2022 Food Bills

Over LKR 13.9 million was spent on food for the Ceylon Provincial League teams, but no valid documents were attached to justify these expenses. Bills were presented on A4-sized paper, raising questions about their authenticity.

Committee Recommendations:
Suppliers have been contacted via registered post, but due to the lack of detailed billing, the committee recommends lodging a CID complaint for further investigation.

3. USD 700,000 Withdrawal from FFSL Accounts

Under the direction of the FFSL President and Treasurer, USD 700,000 was transferred from the FFSL’s foreign currency account to a local currency account without Executive Committee approval or following proper procedures.

Committee Recommendations:
A proper mechanism for handling currency transfers must be implemented to prevent such unauthorized transactions in the future.

4. USD 30,000 Media Rights Payment

The FFSL failed to receive a USD 30,000 payment for the media rights of the Mahinda Rajapakse Trophy. Additionally, Public Service Media confirmed that they did not receive USD 10,000 for broadcasting a SAFF Sri Lanka match.

Committee Recommendations:

Ensure that Mr. Asif Ansar, who handled the transaction, provides the necessary receipt for the USD 10,000 payment or returns the money to FFSL.
Recover the USD 30,000 media rights payment from Public Service Media.
If Mr. Ansar fails to comply, lodge a complaint with the CID.

5. Zolo Sponsorship for Champions League

It was noted that Zolo sponsored the Champions League, but no documentation was found to verify this partnership.

Committee Recommendations:
Without any records, the committee could not investigate further. They recommend future deals be documented properly.

Lack of Action from Authorities

Despite these findings being submitted to the Ministry of Sports and Youth on 20th July 2023, no actions have been taken to address these serious allegations. To date, no complaints have been lodged with the CID or other relevant authorities.

The full audit report is attached for readers and relevant authorities to review.

Attachment: Full Audit Report on FFSL Mismanagement (Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, 20th July 2023)

Football

Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2024: Super Eight Round Concludes – Semifinalists Confirmed!

Published

1 day ago

February 21, 2025

Editor

The Super Eight Round of the Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2024 (Under 20 Division 1 Boys Football Tournament) has ended on a high note, producing four standout teams that will battle for a place in the final. Below is a comprehensive look at the match results, final points tables, and key highlights from the tournament so far.

Match Results Overview

St. Joseph’s College 4-0 Darussalam College
Kalutara Muslim Central 2-3 Alighar National School
Hameed Al Husseine College 1-0 Al Falah College
Zahira College 4-0 St. Patrick’s College
St. Joseph’s College 1-1 Alighar National School
Darussalam College 7-0 Kalutara Muslim Central
Al Falah College 0-3 Zahira College
St. Patrick’s College 0-4 Hameed Al Husseine College
Alighar National School 5-1 Darussalam College
St. Joseph’s College 1-0 Kalutara Muslim Central
Zahira College 2-0 Hameed Al Husseine College
Al Falah College 3-2 St. Patrick’s College

Group A Standings

Rank	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Alighar National School	3	2	1	0	9	4	+5	7
2	St. Joseph’s College	3	2	1	0	6	1	+5	7
3	Darussalam College	3	1	0	2	8	9	-1	3
4	Kalutara Muslim Central College	3	0	0	3	2	11	-9	0

Top Two (Advancing to Semifinals):

Alighar National School
St. Joseph’s College

Group B Standings

Rank	Team	P	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Zahira College	3	3	0	9	0	+9	9
2	Hameed Al Husseine College	3	2	1	5	2	+3	6
3	Al Falah College	3	1	2	3	6	-3	3
4	St. Patrick’s College	3	0	3	2	11	-9	0

Top Two (Advancing to Semifinals):

Zahira College
Hameed Al Husseine College

Summary & Semi-Final Preview

Alighar National School and St. Joseph’s College finished level on points at the top of Group A. Their draw against each other kept the race tight, but both teams delivered strong performances in the remaining matches to secure 7 points each.
Zahira College dominated Group B with three consecutive wins, scoring 9 goals and conceding none. Hameed Al Husseine College followed suit, showcasing solid defense and earning 6 points to claim the second semi-final berth.
Darussalam College, Kalutara Muslim Central, Al Falah College, and St. Patrick’s College showed fighting spirit but fell short in the quest for the knockout stage.

Semi Finals

Alighar National School will face Hameed Al Husseine College in the Semi Finals
Zahira College will face St. Joseph’s College in the Semi Finals

The semi-finals promise high-octane clashes as the top contenders face off. Stay tuned to Sri Lankan Sports TV for exclusive match previews, live coverage, and post-match analysis as we approach the grand finale of the Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025.

News

World Rugby Sets Final Deadline for Sri Lanka Rugby Governance Reforms

Published

1 day ago

February 21, 2025

Editor

World Rugby has extended Sri Lanka Rugby’s (SLR) deadline until June 15, 2025, to address its governance issues, warning that failure to comply will result in immediate sanctions, including a possible ban from international competitions.

Acknowledging the persistent efforts of Sri Lanka’s Competent Authority and Director General of Sports, Professor (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando, World Rugby remains firm on its conditions. SLR must implement a revised constitution and conduct elections within the next four months to meet international standards.

To oversee these reforms, a Working Taskforce has been formed, featuring representatives from World Rugby, Asia Rugby, the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lankan government. Led by Asia Rugby, this task force is responsible for guiding SLR through the required changes.

The reform process consists of two key phases. The initial phase focuses on reviewing voting eligibility, finalizing constitutional amendments, and organizing a Special General Meeting (SGM). The next phase involves adopting the new constitution at the SGM, followed by elections monitored by World Rugby, Asia Rugby, and local sports authorities.

SLR has faced repeated scrutiny over governance failures, prompting multiple interventions from international rugby bodies. With this deadline set, Sri Lanka Rugby has one final opportunity to align with global governance standards and secure its future in international rugby.

Football

Sky Market Travels Joins Hands with Sri Lanka Schools’ Football

Published

3 days ago

February 19, 2025

Editor

Sky Market Travels, a leading travel agency, has partnered with Sri Lanka Schools’ Football to contribute to the development of school football in the country.

As a first step, Sky Market Travels (Pvt) Ltd has joined as a sponsor for the Sri Lanka Schools’ National Championship 2024 Under-20 Division One tournament, organized by the Sri Lanka Schools’ Football Association.

This prestigious tournament, featuring 20 of Sri Lanka’s top school teams, has long been a vital platform for young players to showcase their talent at the national level. By stepping in as a sponsor, Sky Market Travels is playing a key role in supporting the future of Sri Lankan school football.

The event was attended by the President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, Jaswar Umar, the Head of the Coach Education Department and former National Team Captain, Sampath Perera, Elite Youth Manager Dudley Steinwal, Members of Schools’ Football Association, and the Managing Director of Sky Market Travels (Pvt) ltd Mohamed Faroos, the President of the Negombo Poruthota Soccer Fans Rizwan, and its Manager Nufri.

With this partnership, Sky Market Travels has taken a significant step in uplifting school football and providing aspiring young footballers with better opportunities to excel at the national level.