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FIFA bans AIFF: Everything you need to know about the Indian football crisis!!!

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3 years ago

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Initially, FIFA was not troubled by CoA’s appointment, which was the first time a third party was involved in the running of football in India. Then why did it ban AIFF from third-party involvement?

Indian football is in a big mess, and it took a lot of stakeholders to drag it here. Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), the world governing body, banned the All India Football Federation (the governing body of football in India) on August 15, 2022, stating a third party influence in its working.

But AIFF was anyways not working since the Supreme Court of India appointed a Committee of Administrators (CoA) to take charge of the body.

Three members, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, SY Quraishi, former Indian football captain Bhaskar Ganguly and retired Justice Anil Dave, formed the CoA mandated by the Supreme Court to take care of AIFF’s daily operations.

Why did the Supreme Court of India form the CoA to take care of AIFF’s operations?

AIFF, headed by Praful Patel, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, had its general body elections due in November 2020 as its tenure was supposed to end by December 2020. But a case was filed against AIFF President Patel and its general body by Ranjit Bajaj, head of the football Club Minerva Punjab, which plays in the I-League, the second division of Indian football’s league structure.

The Supreme Court took up the case only in May 2022 and removed Patel as AIFF President on May 18, 2022, and dismissed the general body headed by him. It appointed a three-member CoA and tasked it with forming the new constitution and holding free and fair elections in association with state federations and football clubs in India. The deadlines for the constitution’s formation and holding the elections were decided as July 31 and September 13, respectively.

Initially, FIFA was not troubled by CoA’s appointment, which was the first time a third party (apart from AIFF and state associations) was involved in the running of football in India. Then why did it ban the AIFF based on third-party involvement?

What is undue influence by the third party?

Members of FIFA and the Asian Football Council (AFC) visited India on June 23 and 24, 2022, to get reassurance on elections and the formation of the constitution as per the Supreme Court guidelines. It did not find anything lacking then.

However, there was an aberration in how things eventually panned out after that visit. The CoA formed an advisory committee headed by Ranjit Bajaj (remember he was the petitioner in the case which dismissed Patel as AIFF President). Though this committee was disbanded, the CoA missed the deadline of July 31 for the submission of the constitution’s draft.

Supreme Court on August 03 then demanded the CoA to carry out elections as soon as possible, which was once again an aberration from the pre-decided roadmap. Things worsened as CoA named 36 eminent footballers with a 50% vote share in deciding the next AIFF President and general body. This was against FIFA’s mandate of not more than 25% representation of players and not less than 75% representation of bodies (state associations) constituting the AIFF in the elections.

FIFA had already informed the Indian sports ministry that it was not against player representation in AIFF, but it should not be more than 25%. Thus when on August 15, the CoA appointed 36 players, FIFA decided to ban the AIFF and the bubble created since 2020 finally burst.

What is the impact of the ban on Indian football?

The impact of the ban imposed by FIFA is far-reaching. Gokulam Kerala, the Indian women’s club champions, who were slated to participate in the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2022 in Uzbekistan, has been told by AFC that they cannot be part of the tournament anymore.

The most significant impact has been on India hosting the Women’s U-17 World Cup. The country was slated to host the tournament from October 11, but India will eventually lose its hosting rights if the ban continues. So far, the relief for both the players and fans is that FIFA has not announced an alternate venue for the event.

“The suspension means that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022™, scheduled to take place in India on 11-30 October 2022, cannot currently be held in India as planned,” FIFA said in a statement.

Along with these two immediate blows to Indian football, any Indian team (National or Football Clubs representing India) will not be able to participate in any international event. No transfers involving international players can take place in India, although the domestic league and domestic transfers can continue.

What’s the road ahead?

On August 17, 2022, the Supreme Court deferred the hearing until August 22 and asked all the stakeholders concerned to resolve the issue and ensure that the FIFA Women’s Under 17 World Cup is held in India.

ඉන්දියානු පාපන්දු අර්බුදය ගැන ඔබ දැනගත යුතු සියල්ල!!!

ඉන්දියානු පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාව විශාල අවුලක පවතින අතර, ජාත්‍යන්තර පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය (FIFA), 2022 අගෝස්තු 15 වන දින සමස්ත ඉන්දීය පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය (ඉන්දියාවේ පාපන්දු පාලක මණ්ඩලය) තහනම් කරන ලදී, එයට හේතුව වන්නේ එහි ඉන්දීය පාපන්දු සම්මේලනයේ ක්‍රියාකාරිත්වයට තෙවන පාර්ශවීය බලපෑමක් ප්‍රකාශ කිරීමත් සමගය.

නමුත් ඉන්දියා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය විසින් පත්කල පරිපාලකයින්ගේ කමිටුවක් (CoA) සමග AIFFකෙසේ හෝ ක්‍රියා කළේ නැත. සාමාජිකයින් තිදෙනෙකු මෙම පරිපාලන කමිටුවට අයත් වේ. ඉන්දියාවේ හිටපු ප්‍රධාන මැතිවරණ කොමසාරිස්, SY කුරේෂි, හිටපු ඉන්දීය පාපන්දු නායක භාස්කර් ගංගුලි සහ විශ්‍රාමික විනිසුරු අනිල් ඩේව්, AIFF දෛනික මෙහෙයුම් කටයුතු බලා ගැනීම සඳහා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය විසින් නියම කර CoA පිහිටුවා ගත්හ.

AIFF හි ක්‍රියාකාරීත්වය නිරීක්ෂ්ණය කිරීම සඳහා ඉන්දීය ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය CoA ( Committee of Administrators ) පිහිටුවා ගත්තේ ඇයි?

ප්‍රෆුල් පටෙල්ගේ නායකත්වයෙන් යුත් AIFF ගේ ධුරකාලය 2020 දෙසැම්බර් මාසය වන විට අවසන් වීමට තිබූ බැවින් 2020 නොවැම්බර් මාසයේදී එහි මහ මණ්ඩල මැතිවරණය පැවැත්වීමට නියමිතව තිබිණි. ප්‍රෆුල් පටෙල් ජාතිකවාදී කොංග්‍රස් පක්ෂයේ නායකයෙකු වේ. මැතිවරණයට නිසිකලට පැවැත්වීමට නොහැකිවීම හේතුවෙන් පටෙල්ට හා එහි මණ්ඩලයට එරෙහිව බජාජ් ඉන්දීය පාපන්දු ලීගයේ දෙවන කොටස වන අයි ලීග් තරගාවලියේ ක්‍රීඩා කරන මිනර්වා පන්ජාබ් පාපන්දු සමාජයේ ප්‍රධානියා වන රංජිත් විසින් නඩුවන් ගොණුකරන ලදී.

ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය 2022 මැයි මාසයේදී මෙම නඩුව කැඳවූ අතර 2022 මැයි 18 වන දින AIFF සභාපති ලෙස පටෙල් ඉවත් කර ඔහුගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් යුත් මහා මණ්ඩලය නිෂ්ප්‍රභ කළේය. එය සාමාජිකයින් තිදෙනෙකුගෙන් යුත් CoA පත් කරන ලද අතර නව ව්‍යවස්ථාව සැකසීම සහ ඉන්දියාවේ ප්‍රාන්ත ෆෙඩරේෂන් සහ පාපන්දු සමාජ සමඟ එක්ව නිදහස් හා සාධාරණ මැතිවරණයක් පැවැත්වීම සඳහා අවසර ලබා දෙන ලදී.

මුලදී, FIFA හට CoA පත්කිරී AIFF තහනම් කරුණක් නොවීය, මෙය ඉන්දියාවේ පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාවේ දී තුන්වන පාර්ශ්වයක් (AIFF සහ රාජ්‍ය සංගම් හැර) සම්බන්ධ වූ පළමු අවස්ථාව විය. එසේ නම් තුන්වන පාර්ශ්වයේ මැදිහත්වීම මත AIFF තහනම් කළේ ඇයි?

එසේනම් තුන්වන පාර්ශ්වයේ අනිසි බලපෑම කුමක්ද?

FIFA සහ ආසියානු පාපන්දු කවුන්සිලයේ (AFC) සාමාජිකයින් 2022 ජුනි 23 සහ 24 යන දිනවල ඉන්දියාවට පැමිණියේ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ මාර්ගෝපදේශයන්ට අනුව මැතිවරණ සහ ව්‍යවස්ථාව සැකසීම පිළිබඳ සහතිකයක් ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා ය.

කෙසේ වෙතත්, එම සංචාරයෙන් පසුව අවසානයේ සියල්ල සිදු වූ ආකාරය පිළිබඳ ප්‍රශ්නාර්ථයක් ඉතිරි විය. CoA විසින් රංජිත් බජාජ්ගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් උපදේශක කමිටුවක් පිහිටුවන ලදී (ඒඅයිඑෆ්එෆ් සභාපති ලෙස පටෙල් ඉවත් කළ නඩුවේ පෙත්සම්කරු ඔහු බව මතක තබා ගන්න). මෙම කමිටුව විසුරුවා හරිනු ලැබුවද, ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා කෙටුම්පත ඉදිරිපත් කිරීම සඳහා වූ අවසාන දිනය ජූලි 31 වනදාට CoA විසින් මග හැරී ගියේය.

අගෝස්තු 03 වැනි දින ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය, හැකි ඉක්මනින් මැතිවරණය පවත්වන ලෙස CoA ට ඉල්ලා සිටි අතර, CoA විසින් මීළඟ AIFF සභාපති සහ මහා මණ්ඩලය තීරණය කිරීමේදී 50% ඡන්ද ප්‍රතිශතයක් සහිත කීර්තිමත් පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩකයින් 36 දෙනෙකු නම් කිරීමත් සමඟ තත්වය නරක අතට හැරුණි. මෙම මැතිවරණයේදී AIFF විසින් FIFA නීතිරීති රෙගුලාසි උල්ලංඝනය කර ඇත. එනම් මෙම මැතිවරණය පැවැත්විය හැක්කේ ක්‍රීඩකයන් 25%ක් අඩු හා රාජ්‍ය ආයතන නියෝජනය 75%ක නොඅඩු සංයුතියක් පවතින අකාරයටය. නමුත් මෙහිදී AIFF විසින් මෙම ක්‍රීඩක නියෝජනය 50% ප්‍රතිශතයක් දක්වා වැඩි කිරීමත් සමග, මෙම නියෝජනය FIFA හි නියෝගයට පටහැනි වීමකි.

AIFF හි ක්‍රීඩක නියෝජනයට විරුද්ධ නොවන නමුත් එය 25% නොඉක්මවිය යුතු බව FIFA දැනටමත් ඉන්දීය ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශයට දන්වා තිබුණි. මේ අනුව අගෝස්තු 15 වන දින CoA විසින් ක්‍රීඩකයින් 36 දෙනෙකු පත් කළ විට, AIFF තහනම් කිරීමට FIFA තීරණය කළ අතර 2020 සිට නිර්මාණය වූ අර්බුදය අවසානයේ පාපන්දු සමේලනයේ තහනමක් බවට පරිවර්ථනය විය.

ඉන්දීය පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය තහනමේ බලපෑම ඉන්දීය පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාවට කෙසේ බලපායිද?

FIFA විසින් පනවා ඇති තහනමේ බලපෑම දුරදිග යයි. 2022 උස්බෙකිස්තානයේ පැවැත්වෙන AFC කාන්තා සමාජ ශූරතාවලියට සහභාගී වීමට නියමිතව සිටි ඉන්දීය කාන්තා සමාජ ශූරයින් වන ගෝකුලම් කේරල කණ්ඩායමට තවදුරටත් තරඟාවලියට සහභාගී විය නොහැකි බව AFC විසින් පවසා තිබේ.

17න් පහළ කාන්තා ලෝක කුසලානයේ සත්කාරකත්වය ඉන්දියාවට ලබාදීමට කටයුතු කලත් මෙම තහනම නිසා එයටද බලපෑම් එල්ල වී ඇත. තරගාවලිය ඔක්තෝබර් 11 වැනිදා සිට පැවැත්වීමට නියමිතව තිබූ නමුත් තහනම දිගටම පැවතුණහොත් අවසානයේ ඉන්දියාවට සත්කාරකත්වය අහිමි වනු ඇත. මේ වන විට ක්‍රීඩකයින්ට සහ ක්‍රීඩා ලෝලීන්ට සහනයක් වී ඇත්තේ FIFA විසින් මෙම උත්සවය සඳහා විකල්ප ස්ථානයක් ප්‍රකාශයට පත් නොකිරීමයි.

“අත්හිටුවීම යනුවෙන් අදහස් වන්නේ 2022 ඔක්තෝබර් 11-30 දිනවල ඉන්දියාවේ පැවැත්වීමට නියමිත FIFA U-17 කාන්තා ලෝක කුසලාන 2022, සැලසුම් කර ඇති පරිදි දැනට ඉන්දියාවේ පැවැත්විය නොහැකි බවයි,” FIFA නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කරමින් කියා සිටියේය.

ඉන්දීය පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාවට එල්ල වූ මෙම ක්ෂණික පහර දෙක සමඟින්, කිසිදු ඉන්දීය කණ්ඩායමකට (ඉන්දියාව නියෝජනය කරන ජාතික හෝ පාපන්දු සමාජ) කිසිදු ජාත්‍යන්තර තරගාවලියකට සහභාගි වීමට නොහැකි වනු ඇත. දේශීය ලීගය සහ දේශීය මාරුවීම් දිගටම පැවතිය හැකි වුවද, ජාත්‍යන්තර ක්‍රීඩකයින් සම්බන්ධ කිසිදු ක්‍රීඩක හුවමාරුවක් ඉන්දියාවේදී සිදු කළ නොහැක.

ඉන්දීය පාපන්දුවේ ඉදිරි මාර්ගය කුමක්ද?

2022 අගෝස්තු 17 වන දින, ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය නඩු විභාගය අගෝස්තු 22 දක්වා කල් තැබූ අතර, ගැටළුව විසඳා FIFA කාන්තා 17න් පහළ ලෝක කුසලානය ඉන්දියාවේ පැවැත්වීම සහතික කරන ලෙස අදාළ සියලුම පාර්ශවකරුවන්ගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේය.

இந்திய கால்பந்து நெருக்கடி பற்றி நீங்கள் தெரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டிய அனைத்தும்…

ஆரம்பத்தில், CoA இன் நியமனத்தால் FIFA கவலைப்படவில்லை, இது இந்தியாவில் கால்பந்தை நடத்துவதில் மூன்றாம் தரப்பு ஈடுபட்டது இதுவே முதல் முறையாகும். பிறகு ஏன் AIFF ஐ மூன்றாம் தரப்பு ஈடுபாட்டிலிருந்து தடை செய்தது?

ஆனால் இந்திய உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தால் நியமிக்கப்பட்ட நிர்வாகிகள் குழுவுடன் (CoA) AIFF வேலை செய்யவில்லை. இந்த நிர்வாகக் குழுவில் மூன்று உறுப்பினர்கள் உள்ளனர். இந்தியாவின் முன்னாள் தலைமைத் தேர்தல் ஆணையர் எஸ்ஒய் குரேஷி, முன்னாள் இந்திய கால்பந்து கேப்டன் பாஸ்கர் கங்குலி மற்றும் ஓய்வுபெற்ற நடுவர் அனில் டேவ் ஆகியோர் AIFF இன் அன்றாட நடவடிக்கைகளைக் கவனிக்க உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தால் நியமிக்கப்பட்டனர்.

AIFF இன் செயல்பாட்டைக் கண்காணிக்க இந்திய உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் ஏன் CoA (நிர்வாகிகள் குழு) அமைத்தது?

பிரஃபுல் படேல் தலைமையிலான AIFF இன் பதவிக்காலம் 2020 டிசம்பரில் முடிவடைய இருந்ததால், அதன் பொதுச் சபைத் தேர்தல்கள் 2020 நவம்பரில் நடத்த திட்டமிடப்பட்டது. தேசியவாத காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியின் தலைவர் பிரபுல் படேல். பஜாஜ் இந்தியன் கால்பந்து லீக்கின் இரண்டாவது பிரிவான ஐ-லீக்கில் விளையாடும் மினெர்வா பஞ்சாப் கால்பந்து கிளப்பின் தலைவர் ரஞ்சித், தேர்தலை முறையாக நடத்தத் தவறியதற்காக படேல் மற்றும் அதன் வாரியத்திற்கு எதிராக வழக்குப் பதிவு செய்தார்.

உச்சநீதிமன்றம் இந்த வழக்கை 2022 மே மாதம் எடுத்துக் கொண்டது மற்றும் மே 18, 2022 அன்று AIFF தலைவர் பதவியில் இருந்து படேலை நீக்கியது மற்றும் அவர் தலைமையிலான பொதுக்குழுவை செயலிழக்க செய்தது. இதை மூன்று உறுப்பினர்களைக் கொண்ட CoA ஐ நியமித்து, புதிய அரசியலமைப்பை உருவாக்குவதற்கும், இந்தியாவில் உள்ள மாநில கூட்டமைப்புகள் மற்றும் கால்பந்து கிளப்புகளுடன் இணைந்து சுதந்திரமான மற்றும் நியாயமான தேர்தல்களை நடத்துவதற்கும் பணித்தது. அரசியலமைப்பு உருவாக்கம் மற்றும் தேர்தல்களை நடத்துவதற்கான காலக்கெடு முறையே ஜூலை 31 மற்றும் செப்டம்பர் 13 என முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டது.

ஆரம்பத்தில், CoA இன் நியமனத்தால் FIFA கவலைப்படவில்லை, இது முதல் முறையாக ஒரு மூன்றாம் தரப்பு (AIFF மற்றும் மாநில சங்கங்கள் தவிர) இந்தியாவில் கால்பந்தாட்டத்தை நடத்துவதில் ஈடுபட்டது. பிறகு ஏன் மூன்றாம் தரப்பு ஈடுபாட்டின் அடிப்படையில் AIFF ஐ தடை செய்தது?

மூன்றாம் தரப்பினரின் தேவையற்ற செல்வாக்கு என்றால் என்ன?

FIFA மற்றும் ஆசிய கால்பந்து (AFC) உறுப்பினர்கள் ஜூன் 23 மற்றும் 24, 2022 அன்று இந்தியாவிற்கு விஜயம் செய்து, உச்ச நீதிமன்ற வழிகாட்டுதல்களின்படி தேர்தல்கள் மற்றும் அரசியலமைப்பு உருவாக்கம் குறித்து உறுதியளித்ததின் படியாக. அப்போது FIFA மற்றும் AFC இதில் குறை எதையும் காணவில்லை.

இருப்பினும், அந்த வருகைக்குப் பிறகு விஷயங்கள் எவ்வாறு முடிவடைந்தது என்பதில் ஒரு பிறழ்வு இருந்தது. CoA ரஞ்சித் பஜாஜ் தலைமையில் ஒரு ஆலோசனைக் குழுவை அமைத்தது (படேலை AIFF தலைவராக பதவி நீக்கம் செய்த வழக்கில் அவர் மனுதாரர் என்பதை நினைவில் கொள்க). இந்தக் குழு கலைக்கப்பட்டாலும், அரசியலமைப்பின் வரைவைச் சமர்ப்பிப்பதற்கான காலக்கெடுவை ஜூலை 31ஆம் தேதிக்குள் CoA தவறவிட்டது.

உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் ஆகஸ்ட் 03 அன்று, முடிந்தவரை விரைவில் தேர்தலை நடத்துமாறு CoA க்கு கோரிக்கை விடுத்தது, இது மீண்டும் முன்பே தீர்மானிக்கப்பட்ட திட்ட வரைபடத்தில் இருந்து மாறுபாடானது. அடுத்த AIFF தலைவர் மற்றும் பொதுக்குழுவை தீர்மானிப்பதில் 50% வாக்குகளுடன் 36 புகழ்பெற்ற கால்பந்து வீரர்களை CoA பெயரிட்டதால் விஷயங்கள் மோசமாகின. இது FIFA வின் ஆணைக்கு எதிரானது 25% வீரர்களின் பிரதிநிதித்துவம் மற்றும் 75% க்கு குறையாத பிரதிநிதித்துவ அமைப்புகளின் (மாநில சங்கங்கள்) தேர்தல்களில் AIFF அமைக்கிறது.

AIFF இல் வீரர்களின் பிரதிநிதித்துவத்திற்கு எதிரானது அல்ல, ஆனால் அது 25% க்கு மேல் இருக்கக்கூடாது என்று FIFA ஏற்கனவே இந்திய விளையாட்டு அமைச்சகத்திடம் தெரிவித்திருந்தது. ஆகஸ்ட் 15 அன்று, CoA 36 வீரர்களை நியமித்தபோது, FIFA AIFF ஐ தடை செய்ய முடிவு செய்தது மற்றும் 2020 முதல் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட குமிழி இறுதியாக வெடித்தது.

இந்திய கால்பந்து மீதான தடையின் தாக்கம் என்ன?

ஃபிஃபா விதித்த தடையின் தாக்கம் மிகப் பெரியது. உஸ்பெகிஸ்தானில் AFC மகளிர் கிளப் சாம்பியன்ஷிப் 2022 இல் பங்கேற்கவிருந்த இந்திய மகளிர் கிளப் சாம்பியன்களான கோகுலம் கேரளா, இனி போட்டியின் பங்கேற்க முடியாது என என்று AFC தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

பெண்கள் U-17 உலகக் கோப்பையை இந்தியா நடத்துவதில் மிகவும் குறிப்பிடத்தக்க தாக்கம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. அக்டோபர் 11 முதல் இந்த போட்டியை இந்தியா நடத்த திட்டமிடப்பட்டது, ஆனால் தடை தொடர்ந்தால் இறுதியில் இந்தியா அதன் ஹோஸ்டிங் உரிமையை இழக்கும். இதுவரை, வீரர்கள் மற்றும் ரசிகர்கள் இருவருக்கும் நிம்மதி என்னவென்றால், நிகழ்விற்கான மாற்று இடத்தை FIFA அறிவிக்கவில்லை.

“இந்த இடைநிறுத்தம் 2022 ஃபிஃபா U-17 மகளிர் உலகக் கோப்பை 2022™, இந்தியாவில் 11-30 அக்டோபர் 2022 இல் நடைபெற உள்ளது, தற்போது இந்தியாவில் திட்டமிட்டபடி நடத்த முடியாது” என்று FIFA ஒரு அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

இந்திய கால்பந்தில் இந்த இரண்டு உடனடி அடிகளுடன், எந்தவொரு இந்திய அணியும் (இந்தியாவைப் பிரதிநிதித்துவப்படுத்தும் தேசிய அல்லது கால்பந்து கிளப்புகள்) எந்தவொரு சர்வதேச நிகழ்விலும் பங்கேற்க முடியாது. உள்நாட்டு லீக் மற்றும் உள்நாட்டு இடமாற்றங்கள் தொடரலாம் என்றாலும், சர்வதேச வீரர்கள் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட எந்த இடமாற்றமும் இந்தியாவில் நடைபெறாது.

மாற்று நடவடிக்கை என்ன?

ஆகஸ்ட் 17, 2022 அன்று, உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் விசாரணையை ஆகஸ்ட் 22 ஆம் தேதிக்கு ஒத்திவைத்தது மற்றும் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட அனைத்து பங்குதாரர்களையும் பிரச்சினையைத் தீர்த்து, 17 வயதுக்குட்பட்ட 17 வயதுக்குட்பட்ட பெண்கள் உலகக் கோப்பை இந்தியாவில் நடைபெறுவதை உறுதிசெய்யுமாறு கேட்டுக் கொண்டது.

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Milan, Dunith Likely to Return for ODIs as Sri Lanka Prepare for England Series

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January 17, 2026

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England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026

All-rounders Milan Rathnayake and Dunith Wellalage are set to make their return to Sri Lanka’s One-Day International squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, which is scheduled to begin in the coming days.

Sri Lanka selectors have opted for a well-balanced squad that blends experienced campaigners with emerging talent as the hosts prepare for a demanding home series against a strong England side.

Charith Asalanka will continue to lead the ODI team as captain, with his role in the middle order expected to be pivotal. Asalanka’s ability to absorb pressure and accelerate when required will be key against England’s varied bowling attack.

At the top of the order, Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara are expected to open the batting. Nissanka’s consistency and sound technique remain central to Sri Lanka’s ODI plans, while Mishara will be eager to convert starts into meaningful contributions. Their partnership will be crucial in providing solid foundations.

Wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis adds experience and aggression to the middle order, offering Sri Lanka flexibility in both tempo and shot selection. Sadeera Samarawickrama and Janith Liyanage further strengthen the batting unit, with both players capable of anchoring the innings or playing decisive roles when momentum is needed.

The squad features strong all-round depth, with Kamindu Mendis offering versatility with both bat and ball. The return of Wanindu Hasaranga significantly enhances Sri Lanka’s all-round options, with his leg-spin expected to play a decisive role on home pitches. Dunith Wellalage’s inclusion adds another spin-bowling all-rounder capable of controlling the middle overs.

Milan Rathnayake’s likely return boosts the seam-bowling all-round resources, while the pace attack will be led by Asitha Fernando, supported by Eshan Malinga and Pramod Madushan. The spin department is further reinforced by Maheesh Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay, both expected to be influential under Sri Lankan conditions.

The first ODI of the series is scheduled to be played on Thursday (22) at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

Probable Sri Lanka ODI Squad vs England

Charith Asalanka (Captain), Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga, Pramod Madushan, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay.

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Peiris, Norbert, Usgodaarachchi and De Silva Lead Women’s Charge at Yeti SSC Open

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January 17, 2026

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The Women’s Singles quarterfinals at the Yeti SSC Open Tennis Championship delivered a high standard of competition, with Yuhansa Peiris, Annaya Norbert, Sandithi Usgodaarachchi, and Dinara De Silva producing impressive performances to book their places in the semifinals.

Yuhansa Peiris produced one of the most commanding displays of the tournament, overwhelming Dulkini Ranasinghe in straight sets, 6/0, 6/0. Peiris controlled the match from the outset, combining solid baseline dominance with precise shot placement and relentless pressure that gave her opponent little opportunity to find rhythm.

Dinara De Silva was equally dominant in her quarterfinal encounter, cruising past Aroshi Thomas 6/1, 6/0. De Silva’s confident shot selection, consistent aggression, and sharp court movement allowed her to dictate play throughout the match, underlining her strong form in the championship.

One of the most competitive matches of the women’s quarterfinals saw Annaya Norbert edge past Biyanka Acquistapace in a tightly contested contest. Norbert held her nerve in crucial moments to secure a 6/4, 7/6 victory, clinching the match in a tense second-set tiebreak after sustained pressure from both players.

Sandithi Usgodaarachchi showcased impressive resilience and mental strength in her quarterfinal clash against Vinethya Dharmarathne. After dropping the opening set 2/6, Usgodaarachchi regrouped and raised her intensity, dominating the next two sets 6/3, 6/1 to complete a hard-fought comeback and advance to the semifinals.

The Men’s Singles quarterfinals were equally compelling, with several strong performances shaping an exciting semifinal lineup. Ganuka Fernando advanced with a composed 6/3, 6/4 victory over Ashen Silva, using disciplined baseline play and timely winners to maintain control during key phases of the match.

Thehan Wijemanne delivered one of the most dominant performances in the men’s draw, dismantling Neven Kannangara 6/1, 6/2. Wijemanne’s aggressive approach and constant pressure from the opening game left little room for his opponent to recover.

Harishva Parameshwaran demonstrated experience and tactical awareness in a solid 6/2, 6/4 win against Rehan Gunawardhana, maintaining steady momentum and dictating play with well-constructed points. Rounding off the quarterfinal stage, Methvan Vijemanne advanced in emphatic fashion, defeating Aahil Kallel 6/1, 6/1 with excellent court coverage and sharp finishing.

With the semifinals now set, the Yeti SSC Open Tennis Championship continues to highlight the growing depth, competitiveness, and quality of Sri Lanka’s tennis talent across both the women’s and men’s categories.

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IOC Orders Sri Lanka Olympic Body to Conduct Long-Pending Elections by April 2026

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3 days ago

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January 14, 2026

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has formally instructed the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) to conduct its overdue Annual General Meeting (AGM) and quadrennial elections no later than the end of April 2026, bringing clarity to a prolonged period of administrative uncertainty within the country’s Olympic movement.

In a letter dated 12 January 2026 addressed to NOCSL President Suresh Subramaniam, the IOC acknowledged that a forensic audit into the committee’s financial and governance practices is still ongoing. However, the IOC clearly stated that the audit process cannot be used as justification to delay the AGM and elections indefinitely.

The global Olympic body emphasized that the electoral process must be carried out strictly in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the IOC-approved Constitution of the NOCSL. It further reiterated that individuals currently under investigation or subject to sanctions are not permitted to participate in NOCSL activities, attend the General Assembly, or contest elected positions until cleared.

Until the completion of the elections, the IOC, in consultation with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), will continue to recognize the current Executive Board led by Subramaniam for the purpose of handling day-to-day administrative and operational matters.

Subramaniam has previously stated that the present leadership remains in office only until formal guidance is received from the IOC, adding that he does not intend to extend his tenure beyond the prescribed term.

According to the NOCSL Executive Board, several procedural and governance-related requirements must be completed prior to convening the AGM. These include the approval of the 2026 budget and the submission of the Auditor General’s report for the 2024 financial year. The forensic audit, covering the period from 2015 to 2024, was initiated following disciplinary action taken against former Secretary General Maxwell De Silva, which included a five-year ban and financial penalties imposed on the NOC.

In its correspondence, the IOC requested that the contents of the letter be shared with all member federations to ensure transparency and open communication. The IOC also expressed hope that the audit process would be concluded in the near future, enabling the NOCSL to restore confidence and credibility within both the domestic and international sporting community.

With the IOC now setting a firm deadline, stakeholders across Sri Lanka’s sports sector are awaiting confirmation of an election schedule. The IOC has made it clear that the electoral process must be completed “as soon as possible, and by the end of April 2026 at the latest,” marking a critical step toward resolving governance issues within the country’s Olympic administration.

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