Sumathipala opts out of race to become SLC chief
Former Sri Lanka Cricket President turned parliamentarian Thilanga Sumathipala has withdrawn his application to run for the chairmanship in the upcoming board elections.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: December 19, 2011 03:52 PM IST
Former Sri Lanka Cricket President turned parliamentarian Thilanga Sumathipala has withdrawn his application to run for the chairmanship in the upcoming board elections.
"I have decided to withdraw due to personal reasons," said the two-time SLC president after the nominations were closed at 12 noon today.
His withdrawal means that Upali Dharmadasa, the front runner would get the coveted position. He is only expected to face token resistance from the only other nomination for the post, Sumith Perera who represents a rural cricket club with no high backing.
Sumathipala, a parliamentarian in the president Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling coalition, was eager to regain his position which he lost when he was ousted by the sports minister's decision in 2005 to sack his administration.
The SLC was run by a string of politically appointed interim committees since 2005 and the practice was compelled to see an end by the ICC ultimatum that all member states must have democratically elected bodies to run local administrations by 2012.
Once the island nation's richest sports body, the SLC is now stricken by its current monetary difficulties with many financial obligations remaining left to be settled.
Since Sri Lanka's position in the international arena received a boost with the 1996 world cup triumph, politically backed corporate figures have been falling over one another to grab control of the administration of the local game.