Sports

One man has found the guts to speak out against a monopoly in rugby as some schools are causing heartburn and promoting the win-at-any-cost syndrome Zahira College’s Chairman of the Board of Governors, Fouzul Hameed, has issued a passionate warning against what he described as a growing “school rugby mafia”, accusing a handful of elite schools of monopolising the sport, poaching players, showing no ethics, no values and focusing only on winning trophies - destroying the true purpose of school sports. “We have been pushed to a corner for decades - in education, in politics, in opportunities. Only through sports can we build peace, harmony and friendship,” said Hameed in a forthright interview with the Daily Mirror. "Zahira has always opened its doors. We welcome every school that visits us. For us, it’s not about winning or losing - it’s about fellowship after the match, friendship beyond the field.” However, Hameed said that the spirit of brotherhood is being eroded and accused a small circle of top rugby-playing schools of pre planning outcomes and dominating the system unfairly. “Certain officials are misusing their power. Unethical things are happening and there’s very unfair treatment towards certain schools,” he said. “Only four or five schools want to dominate. Sri Lanka has thousands of schools. To build a country, a handful cannot create a monopoly. Schools are not meant to act like politicians. ” He continued: “If you look at Muslim schools, some have been destroyed due to politics and revenge. We are trying to bring Zahira back with great effort - our board, our old boys, the principal, staff, everyone - but we see some officials misusing their power.” Hameed, who has chaired Zahira’s Board of Governors for two decades, said rugby in Sri Lanka has lost its educational purpose. “Rugby is a passion, but look at our standard. If our best Sri Lanka combined school team play the world’s top five school teams - New Zealand, England, South Africa, Australia, Argentina - they’d score 200 or 300 points against us. Yet we spend millions, even billions of rupees if we take A Division alone, on ego,” he said. “Children are being destroyed. They skip classes, lose discipline, some even turn to drugs. The media gives unnecessary hype while education suffers.” He particularly condemned the poaching of players by certain elite schools. “This is not a professional club league - it’s school sport. We must teach values. But four or five schools are hijacking players from others, destroying morale,” Hameed charged. “I’ve seen team cards with 13 or 14 players from other schools. What about the boys who’ve trained from grade one in their own schools? They don’t even get a chance. I have met many disappointed parents and players. ” Hameed did not hold back in his criticism of the growing selfishness among a few powerful schools. “These few schools have destroyed many other schools and the players. They just come only to play rugby - but their education and discipline is ignored. They are only taught to win at any cost,” he stressed. “Please note, this message is mainly to develop more schools with all the educational resources and sports. Our country needs more quality schools. The downfall of our nation is clear when you look at the quality of our Parliament - it all starts from the lack of quality schools that haven’t been developed for many decades.” Drawing parallels between the monopoly in school rugby and political corruption, Hameed said: “It’s just like our politics - a few powerful people trying to control everything. The same attitude that caused 30 years of war and even the Easter Sunday attacks. Schools must not be infected with politics.” He also criticised the poor governance of other school sports, particularly football, saying it is run by people “who have never even played the game.” “Football - not a single school tournament is run properly. For most schools, other sports have lost their glamour,” he lamented. Calling for immediate reforms, Hameed warned that Zahira will no longer tolerate unethical practices. “I’m warning any school that tries to poach our players - please be careful,” he said firmly. “Our old boys are not puppets. They are emotional and proud of their heritage. We have already sent letters to some schools and spoken to coaches. Most have agreed to stop. We are sending a message for peace and harmony, not violence.” Hameed urged all schools - especially the “so-called big ones” - to remember the true purpose of education and sport. “Our country needs hundreds of good schools, not a few outdated ones living on hype. Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia all developed because of good schools with good ethics. Education, sports, values - all must go hand in hand. “Enough is enough. The school rugby mafia must stop. Respect every school, teach values, and remember - we are not inferior to anyone. We don’t entertain politicians, but we respect every citizen. We want friendship, not monopoly.