Sri Lanka has appointed Chulananda Perera, a retired state official, as the country’s first Sports Ombudsman. This appointment, under the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 and special provisions of the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2382/32, marks a significant step in ensuring fairness and accountability within the nation’s sports associations and federations.
The newly appointed Sports Ombudsman is empowered to conduct impartial investigations into complaints from individuals affected by the decisions or actions of the various registered sports associations and federations in Sri Lanka. This role aims to address grievances and maintain integrity within sports organizations.
The Ministry of Sports outlined the procedure for lodging complaints: the aggrieved party must inform the Ombudsman in writing within 14 days of the decision by the sports association or federation. The Ombudsman then has 14 days to provide recommendations on the incident to the Sports Minister through the Director General of Sports.
This appointment reflects Sri Lanka’s commitment to enhancing transparency and accountability in sports, offering a formal mechanism for addressing disputes and ensuring fair play.
