The much awaited Nippon Paint Katukurunda Speed 2023 held last weekend (Dec. 02- 03). However, eyebrows have been raised over a racer being declared as the winner despite flouting rules and regulations of the tournament.

The event was organised by the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), the governing body for motorsports in Sri Lanka for the 3rd consecutive year.

Nippon Racing Brand Ambassador Ushan Perera was declared as the winner of the SL GT 3500 event. However, live footage of the race had showed Ushan overtaking Dilantha Malagamuwa in a questionable manner. Despite even the commentators pointing out that the action deserved a penalty, all 03 track marshals had stayed mum, reports say.

However, Dilantha was given a penalty over a false start.

Rumours state that Ushan’s action had been overlooked as Nippon Paints is the main sponsor of the event.

Sports Minister Harin Fernando today (04) announced that Upul Tharanga will replace Pramodya Wickramasinghe as Chairman of the Cricket Selection Committee.

The minister added that 10 names have already been recommended as selectors and that a new selection committee would be appointed soon.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) says that they have formally lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in Sri Lanka against Mr. Roshan Ranasinghe MP over the alleged misuse of funds provided by SLC to the National Sports Fund for the development of various other sports in Sri Lanka.

A statement issued by the SLC states :

The decision to file this complaint stems from the concern that Mr. Roshan Ranasinghe MP has not appropriately disclosed the utilization of funds allocated by SLC for the intended purposes.

This move comes in the wake of a discernible disparity between the information disclosed to the media by Mr. Ranasinghe MP and the response received by SLC under a Right to Information (RTI) application, outlining the specifics of the expenditures made.

SLC wishes to emphasize the importance of maintaining the integrity of financial transactions and ensuring that funds are utilized for their designated purposes and the said formal complaint filed with the Bribery Commission underscores SLC’s dedication to upholding the highest standards of governance and ethics within the realm of sports administration.

SLC trusts that the Bribery Commission will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter to ascertain the facts and take appropriate action as necessary and Sri Lanka Cricket will continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure a fair and just resolution to this issue, as part of its ongoing commitment to the promotion and advancement of sports in Sri Lanka.