A constitutional stalemate between Sri Lankas National Olympic Committee and Sports Ministry remains in place despite the International Olympic Committee’s intervention. Will a prolonged dispute between both parties hurt Sri Lankas reputation with the IOC?

 

The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

How bad is the constitutional stalemate

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A constitutional stalemate between Sri Lankas National Olympic Committee and Sports Ministry remains in place despite the International Olympic Committee’s intervention. Will a prolonged dispute between both parties hurt Sri Lankas reputation with the IOC?

The conflict between the NOC and the Ministry of Sports will cast the country in bad light in the eyes of the IOC. The NOC and Ministry are certainly independent bodies but the athletes are under the Ministry of Sports, which means when a conflict arises between the two, the athletes are the ones getting affected by it. Abdul Qadir (Private sector employee)

I think that this issue can give our country a negative image. To a foreign body it would seem that we are incapable of working with each other. Krishan Balaji (Student)

I believe that the issue between the Sports Ministry and the NOC can eventually ruin the image of Sri Lanka and its governing bodies in the eyes of the IOC. I doubt many other countries have this issue with their NOCs so for the Sports Ministry to be making these requests seems to be out of the ordinary and could raise questions as to motives. Malik Hannan (Private sector employee)

This will naturally hurt our reputation with the IOC because it is going against what was unanimously agreed upon. It is going back on a pledge made at the highest level. We must revamp intrusive provisions. What the IOC said was loud and clear. Preethi Perera (President of the Kayaking Association)

This will definitely hurt our reputation with the IOC. If things get worse we will face severe disciplinary action and our poor sportsmen will suffer while the authorities keep arguing. Ravindra Bandara (Student)

It has already done immense damage. In the first place a complete mandate should have been taken from all the associations before any of these things should have been reported. Even now these guys are doing things without a majority mandate. This is the death knell for sports in Sri Lanka. Because what we are trying to do is give autonomy to individual sports associations. Eventually the incumbent president will have the power to do what he wants. Suraj Dandeniya (President of the Sri Lanka Badminton Association)

I think it will hurt our reputation but these matters have to be discussed and sorted out regardless of how things look. Personally I don't see how the NOC can work on its own agenda without the involvement of the Sports Ministry. Thilina de Silva (IT executive)

We will hurt our image internationally if things continue this way and we might even be suspended by the IOC. We should sort our issues internally instead of taking them out of the country. Vishwa Rathnayake (Student)

It will hurt our reputation with the IOC but even if we get kicked out from the IOC it won't make a difference because we don't do much at the Olympics anyway. Our athletes won't suffer any more than they are at the moment. Yasith Fernando (Artist)

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