The Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Bill to amend the Convention against Doping in Sport.

¶ 02 Sport is a powerful tool for coexistence. After a cruel period of terrorism divided our people, sport can unite North, South, East, and all provinces—promoting unity through diversity. When children from the North come South to play, and Southern children go North, coexistence is fostered. Many minds were distorted by long years of conflict; sport can help us move beyond that. The Sports Minister is here; we must provide equal opportunities in sport across provinces. Some provinces have glaring deficits in facilities; without equal opportunity, we cannot uplift sport. Cricket once centered on Colombo; when we took cricket to the villages, rural talent rose to the top.

¶ 03 Do not politicize sport. Let us unite and give equal chances to all children, using sport to build coexistence—this is our collective responsibility.

¶ 04 I recently read the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities report showing 8.7% of Sri Lankans have disabilities. They are often marginalized. There are international competitions for persons with disabilities; I ask the Sports Minister to establish a dedicated fund for disabled athletes. When I was Sports Minister, I faced major issues sending the blind cricket team to international tournaments; finally, we secured support from Sri Lanka Cricket.

¶ 05 Sri Lanka Cricket has significant resources. I propose allocating 10% of SLC resources to a special fund for disabled cricketers. India has done similar. Other sports also face shortages; SLC’s resources could bridge gaps across disciplines.

¶ 06 Our disabled war heroes also need support. Create a fund enabling them to participate in international competitions and see the world. When I was Minister, we created a special “Ranaviru Stand” at international matches; similarly, at international events here, reserve a Ranaviru stand for disabled war heroes.

¶ 07 On sports law: our Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 is outdated. Under it, the Minister approves team selections, coaches, and outbound tours—this politicizes sport. As Minister, I initiated reforms with a legal panel. Ministers should set policy, not pick teams or ban associations or appoint endless interim committees. Remove excessive ministerial control, strengthen independence, ensure proper financial oversight—e.g., audit powers—without politicization. Many associations are perpetually in court—this must end with clear democratic election frameworks run by an independent elections committee (I had appointed retired judges to such a committee, with appeals to the Minister). Please bring a new modern law, strengthen association autonomy and accountability, and pay special attention to football—the world’s most popular, yet in Sri Lanka often treated as a poor relation—so it can progress meaningfully.

¶ 08 Hon. Minister, as a President’s Counsel, I kindly request that you prioritize comprehensive reform of this outdated legal framework.