SGM clash with national Aquatic events

The Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) has scheduled its Special General Meeting (SGM) to approve accounts to be held this morning at 10:00am while the national championships in synchronized swimming and water polo are being simultaneously held throughout the day at the Sugathadasa Stadium pool.

The scheduling of the meeting raises doubt whether the Executive Committee of the national body is genuinely interested in promoting aquatic sports or whether they are securing their positions. Further, an SGM to approve annual accounts also raises questions as to the circumstances in which the accounts were not approved at the Annual General Meeting being the main item in the agenda of any national body in its non-election year.

The former General Secretary of SLASU, Akhry Ameer made startling revelations of the federation’s conduct.  He said “Intentional or not, it is just not right for a federation in a relatively small country. It was my questioning that caused the approval of the accounts to be postponed. They had audited the main account, but conveniently left out auditing of a separate multi-million rupee account used to conduct the South Asian Swimming Championships last year, for which the Ministry of Sports had also a given a Rs 2.5 million grant. It was also probably the first AGM in the history of the SLASU where the General Secretary was not present citing personal reasons”, he stated.

The account had also been operated by a separate organizing committee without the full knowledge of the Treasurer and omitting him as a signatory. “The President tried giving various excuses saying the accounts were not fully settled and the grant cheque hadn’t been received. If it were so, a suspense statement with creditors, debtors, etc should have been tabled as of 31st December. The President also promised to call an SGM within two months and its now happening four months later. They have sent a separate audit of the international meet account by a different auditor but to me it doesn’t seem to be tallying together”, he added.

In a further twist of events the President Commander Jayantha Gamage is expected to be absent today having taken a leave of absence for a year for a naval training programme in China. “There are so many things not correct on how they are going about things. There is talk saying the President is resigning which he should have done before he left considering the prolonged absence. I have been keeping quiet since a group of coaches and officials accusing me as power hungry and a control freak. It was my personal decision not contest after bringing SLASU out of the FINA suspension and conducting the election; but it clearly shows they cannot do a better job as they claimed. I don’t need to be there but they are drowning the federation of the progress we had made rather than building on it”, Ameer added.

Mr. Ameer also alleged that there are several other failures of maintaining proper minutes, updating of constitution, omitting of clauses to keep away past officials from meetings and issuing notices by SMS.