Appeal period against sports bodies reduced

COLOMBO (News1st): The period granted to appeal against a decision by any national sports association has been reduced from two weeks to one week, state documents showed. The law is among several amendments made to the National Associations of Sports Regulations passed in 2016, according to a directive signed by sports minister Namal Rajapaksa. "Such appeal shall be accompanied by all relevant material...and...(a) non-refundable payment of Rs 5000...paid in favour of the Director-General of Sports," a new inclusion to the law read. But the non-refundable payment would not be required for complaints against the selection of players. The new regulations declare that appeals would be referred to a seven-member Appeal Advisory Committee chaired by a supreme court judge. But the minister would not be bound by any of its recommendations. Justice Kankani Thanthi Chitrasiri chairs the current appeal advisory committee. .:..the chairman shall appoint at least three members, from among the members of the committee, to consider and make recommendations to the minister within 14 days," the directive noted. Under the previous law, the committee comprised three members - made up of retired supreme court judges or senior public officers - and had been granted seven days to submit its recommendations. The decision on the appeal should be delivered by the minister in a month to the appellant and the sports body concerned, according to the document seen by News1st.