A spirited soccer player and sportsman in the Cabinet augurs well for engendering a sense of teamwork in the political and administrative aspects of governance. The newly appointed Cabinet Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera carries these attributes.
His track record of excellence and honesty in politics combined with the fact that he was also a brilliant soccer player for Ananda College, raises our hopes for success in his new challenge.
After playing in the junior teams for his school, he would certainly have sported the colours playing in the first team, but his love to join the Navy deprived him of this honour.
However his love for the game was not lost. He continued his career in the Navy playing in the Football Association Cup and all other tournaments. For sure he helped the Navy win many matches and trophies.
After he retired from the Navy he took to football administration and excelled in this department with his efficiency, honesty and discipline. He was a shining example to other office bearers in the Football Federation of Sri Lanka. His efficiency rubbed off on all in the FFSL and he was instrumental in taking the game and the administration to a level never enjoyed before.
Weerasekera served in many positions under the able presidency of the one and only Manilal Fernando and served with honesty and efficiency in all positions he was entrusted with and was a great asset to Fernando.
Weerasekera’s ability and love for hard work in working for the improvement of football in the country did not go unrewarded. He attained the high office of President FFSL from 2010 to 2013 after being Vice President from 2002 to 2010.
The likeable Weerasekera was also the Chairman of the Management Committee that monitored the Referees Committee and Disciplinary Committee, two committees that were not easy to handle. Fernando realized that the ideal man to instill discipline to these two Committees was the Retired Rear Admiral and gave him these onerous jobs that he performed in the excellent manner in which only he could.
From 2009 he was Chairman of the National Football Committee and his hard work saw the country’s football meeting with success and improving the ranking of the national team from 163rd position to 151 which was a feather in Weerasekera’s football cap and great honour to the country.
It must also be mentioned that in 2010 he contested Digamadulla and was elected to Parliament and was soon appointed as the State Minister of Labour. He represented Sri Lanka on his own at the United Nations defending the country’s armed services and fighting on principle against the LTTE diaspora that was lobbying. Weerasekera has always put country before self.
Weerasekera was always a close confidant of former FFSL President, Vice President of Asian Football Confederation and Legal Officer FIFA Manilal Fernando who paid Weerasekera a glowing tribute describing him as a loyal friend, upright human being with excellent qualities.
“I could always say that every task that was entrusted to him he would fulfill to the best of his ability, which ability was unlimited’, said Fernando.
Fernando described Sarath and his wife Hemanthi as being excellent parents to daughter Sulochana who works in London as a Speech Pathologist and a Weight Management Consultant and son Sachithra a doctor at the Police Hospital in Sri Lanka as an ASP.
Sarath’s brother Ananda was a top class goal keeper for Ananda College who played for the country’s national youth team. He also kept goals for the Army in many tournaments and served in the FFSL as General Secretary.
After his retirement from the Army he headed the National Youth Council in the rehabilitation of the LTTE youth and at present is a revered monk in Ampara.
Sarath Weerasekera is the author of ‘Sagaraya Saha Geheniya (ocean and the woman) and ‘Nuthana Paravi Sandeshaya’ and ‘Thoagamuwe Sri Rahula Thero’. His erudition, writing and communication skills adds to the leadership qualities that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has recognized in this appointment which carries with it the responsibilities of trust.