Hon. Dinidu Saman Hennayake

¶ 01 You will remember from our recent history how sport and politics were intertwined in disgraceful ways during the Rajapaksa era. We saw the father sponsoring, one son running the organization, another son’s TV channel broadcasting, another son playing, and the mother turning up to award prizes. Their personal whims became the country’s sports priorities. It was not the needs of our athletes or the nation, but the desires of a small group that directed sports.

¶ 02 Mr. Deputy Speaker, they politicized sport and used political thug power to dominate it. A stark case is the murder of Wasim Thajudeen. We know who was challenged by him and who had problems with what he revealed. That era brought politics deep into sport. Sport should build a well-rounded, empathetic human being, teaching cooperation. Instead, it was used to brutalize rivals—breaking teeth, setting fires, even killing. We witnessed that sordid politicization. Now is the time to change it.

¶ 03 Our government is transforming into one that upholds the rule of law. For years, Sri Lanka had laws, but not the supremacy of law. Presidents stood above the law, sheltered by executive power and entourages. Now we must become a country where the command of law prevails. That is why Presidents face cases and investigations into fraud and corruption. We are turning away from lawlessness. Within that, drugs have become a recognizable symptom in sports and in society—doping in sport, and drug dealers and users infiltrating sports communities as commercialization grew.

¶ 04 We have long seen a select few in sports bodies deciding which athletes play, where they go, and which sports receive prominence. Looking back at those cliques, many wielded political dominance and thug power, and many were linked to narcotics trafficking.

¶ 05 Alongside developing sport, we must dispel this darkness and create a new culture with proper systems. We must provide our athletes facilities and fair opportunities matching their talent. For too long, they lacked those chances.

¶ 06 In the South, drug trafficking networks have included politicians and their associates—bringing in cocaine and ice by the container, manufacturing ice locally, and running with the underworld. We must unite humanity against that depravity and defeat it. We have a responsibility to the whole country: run a political campaign to reform sport, enforce the rule of law, and crush organized crime. We cannot do it alone; everyone’s contribution is needed. I urge all to help end the destruction of sport and the scourge afflicting the nation, by guidance and participation.

¶ 07 Thank you very much.