FOOTBALL CHIEF OPENS OUT, WARNS OLYMPIC BODY DIGGING ITS OWN GRAVE

Sri Lanka's National Olympic Committee (NOCSL) could face a serious administrative paralysis both locally and internationally if immediate steps are not taken to conduct its long-overdue election, Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) president Jaswar Umar warned.

- By SUSIL PREMALAL

Addressing a special media briefing in Colombo, Umar said the failure of the current NOCSL president Suresh Subramaniam and his executive committee to initiate the election process on time would result in the automatic lapse of all officials' terms on December 27, 2025.

He cautioned that unless an interim committee comprising competent authorities is appointed and swift action is taken to hold the election, Sri Lanka risks becoming inactive and potentially blacklisted within the international Olympic movement.

The current NOCSL executive committee was elected in 2022 for a four-year term (2022-2026). However, several officials have since been suspended following allegations of financial misconduct, prompting a forensic audit.