Following the Government’s recent decision to introduce new laws to regulate sports governing bodies, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Roshan Ransinghe had signed a Gazette extraordinaire to limit the official tenure of the chairpersons of national sports bodies to two years and two terms, disqualifying persons over 70 years from holding office in their executive committees and eliminating the possibility of dual citizens holding posts in them.
Minister Ranasinghe said he had signed the relevant Gazette notification on Wednesday (14).
The Minister said that those who have been served punishment for acts of indiscipline or fraud by a national or international association or a committee would not be eligible to hold posts, such as Chairman or Secretary. They will be ineligible to serve on committees, he said.
According to the new laws if an office-bearer of a sports body or organisation acts in violation of the Constitution, the members with voting rights can remove him from office before the completion of his term by way of a two-thirds majority resolution, he said.
Holding the position of Treasurer of a sports body will require special accountancy professional qualifications under the new regulations, he said.
Minister Ranasinghe said that steps would be taken to set up a sports authority and that he will present a Draft Bill on it in Parliament in due course.