Accordingly, hopes of deputy speaker Thilanga Sumathipala and Ports minister Arjuna Ranatunga have been dashed as they had hoped to contest for the SLC chairman post at the next election, it adds.

The 'Sath Handa' further reports as follows :

However, Malik has a long history entwined with the sport of Rugby and SLC sources say the above measure is another step of the prevailing 'cold war' between the UNP and the SLFP.

In the 100-day government, the UNP was tasked with sports, and it was said that the then sports minister - Navin Dissanayake was 'controlled' by Malik.

With Dayasiri Jayasekera being appointed as the new Sports minister, there is an attempt to secure the SLC chair to an UNP- affiliated individual with the objective of retaining important 'epicentres' in the sports field within the UNP.

Meanwhile, the committee of three lawyers appointed by the then minister Navin Dissanayake to look into the frauds of the SLC, had spent Rs. 3.7 million to formulate the committee report and had requested for another Rs. 300,000.

It took two months to formulate the report. The present Sports minister has said that another committee will have to be appointed to probe on this regard.

(Sath Handa)