The Hon. (Mrs.) Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Mr. Deputy Speaker, I appreciate the chance to speak at Second Reading of the Bill to amend the Convention against Doping in Sport.

¶ 02 UNESCO’s International Convention against Doping in Sport was adopted in Paris on 19 October 2005. Sri Lanka acceded in 2011, which required domestic legal measures and a national agency. Accordingly, Parliament enacted Act No. 33 of 2013 to give effect to the Convention and to establish the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) to suppress prohibited substances and methods in sport and to ensure Sri Lankan athletes are cleared domestically before competing internationally, protecting the country from disgrace arising from tainted victories.

¶ 03 Global anti-doping rules underpin our framework. SLADA must operate in conformity with WADA’s Code and regulations, which are periodically reviewed and recommendations made. This Amendment Bill reflects those recommendations to update the 2013 Act.

¶ 04 The Bill retains Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) for athletes with medical conditions, granted by SLADA through its TUE Committee. SLADA’s activities are overseen by a governing board. The Bill also provides for a Disciplinary Panel’s composition and procedures, appeals to an Appeals Panel, and references to the Court of Arbitration for Sport where applicable. It authorizes making rules to operationalize WADA Code provisions domestically and strengthens governance, compliance, and accountability, aligning Sri Lanka with global practice.

¶ 05 At this stage, the Hon. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake entered the Chamber.

¶ 06 Beyond law, we must address mindset. Many turn to doping due to intolerance of defeat. From childhood, we condition children to “only win,” treating loss as shame. Instead, we must instill resilience—rising stronger after setbacks. Coaches, teachers, parents, and peers have roles in building athletes’ confidence.

¶ 07 We must also confront broader drug abuse. Increasingly, even girls and women are affected. Past political protection enabled traffickers; laws served smugglers, not society. The present Government has drawn a line and is enforcing the law; many traffickers are before justice, and communities, especially mothers, are relieved.

¶ 08 Keeping children engaged in school and structured activities reduces drug and doping risks. Youth clubs, media, and broadcasters can play a vital role. As a lawyer and social activist, I call on all media institutions to focus on this social recovery.

¶ 09 A previous Member called someone the world’s only leader who ended a war. He should study world history. We saw regimes privatize credit for collective effort, enrich their lineage, and impoverish the nation. Let us learn the right lessons.

¶ 10 Thank you.