Stay order has national team stuck at home
Sri Lanka’s participation at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Hungary next month now hangs in the balance, in terms of a court order that hindered participation at the ongoing FINA World Championship.
The World Junior Swimming Championship will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 20 to 25.
The High Court of Civil Appeal extended an stay order issued on July 18 to September 20 considering a case (No. WP/HCCA/Col/122/2019/LA) filed by swimmer Vinoli Kaluarachchi.
Petitioner Kaluarachchi seeks justice for her omission from the team selected to represent Sri Lanka at the FINA World Swimming Championship to be held in Korea, from July 12-28.
As reported in our July 14th issue of the Sunday Times, two teams were submitted to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) to to be forwarded to FINA. The 1st team was picked by the Selection Committee of the Interim Committee (IC) of the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) and the other by the President of the dissolved SLASU.
The Championship commenced on July 12 and Sri Lanka missed representation due to the ‘Stay’ order.
The 1st team selected is Akalanka Peiris, Mathew Abeysinghe, Vinoli Kaluarachchi and Aniquah Gafoor and the 2nd team selected by the dissolved body included Peiris, Abeysinghe, Kimiko Rahim and Gafoor.
The question that arises is will FINA recognise a team submitted by an IC as international controlling bodies do not recognise ICs.
The problem arose in the Women’s team with the inclusion of Rahim and Gafoor ahead of Kaluarachchi. Rahim is an automatic choice with the 778 FINA points. Kaluarachchi is 2nd with 657 FINA points, followed by Gafoor with 634 FINA points.
A letter dated 19/7/2019, was issued to the NOC General Secretary, approving the names of Mathew Abeysinghe, Akalanka Peiris, Vinoli Kaluarachchi and Aniquah Gafoor as Sri Lanka representatives at the 18th FINA World Championship in Gwangiu, Korea.
According to a Sports Ministry official, a general meeting of the SLASU was held at the Ministry, and five members were elected by the membership as an elected body. According to them, the team is not in a position to leave for Korea, due to a pending stay order.
It is tragic that, due to differences between officials, a talented team of swimmers are deprived of representing their motherland at an important world event.
The newly elected SLASU President Nethru Nanyakkara, when contacted by the Sunday Times, said he is not aware of the details of the stay order. His main task is to gain FINA’s recognition for a democratically elected body.
At present, he is in correspondence with FINA officials and is planning to hold the Aquatic meets that were not held, to facilitate recognition by FINA.