The Government’s recent clamp down on sports goods due to the foreign exchange crisis in the country is affecting a lot of sports, especially cricket.
Whilst the national cricket team has performed brilliantly in the UAE where they have reached the Asia Cup final and our Under-19 cricketers comprising schoolboys have beaten England in the Youth Test series, complaints are pouring in especially from school cricket authorities that the ban is affecting them badly as cricket equipment cannot be sourced due to the ban of numerous items.
The inter-school cricket season third term is due to commence this month after being badly affected by COVID-19 for the past two years, and the paucity of cricket equipment in the market is certain to affect many schools. Cricket being a specialised game where so much equipment is required for playing as well as for training the current ban, if continued, will affect the game.
Sri Lanka is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and cricket is the only sport that brings valuable foreign exchange into the country as was witnessed during the recently concluded Australian cricket tour here. Cricket not only brings the highest revenue it is also a recreation sport that cannot be affected by lack of equipment.
We do understand the acute problems related with foreign exchange but sports should not be hampered especially at schools and district levels. The ban applies not only to cricket but to all sports who are attached to international bodies like the IOC, IAAF, FIFA, World Rugby (WR), FIBA, IAAF, BWF, ITTF to name a few.
We hope the authorities will look at this aspect positively and allow the flow of sports equipment to the country as quickly as possible.
The Minister of Sports should make a strong case on behalf of all sports bodies to ensure that sports equipment is adequately made available.
Play halted in SL for Decathlon
Global sporting goods retail giant announces indefinite suspension of physical store and ecommerce operations in October, ending four-year stint in Sri Lanka
Says economic crisis has made it impossible to resupply product range
Production operations to continue in SL
Sporting goods retailer Decathlon has announced the suspension of all its stores in Sri Lanka both physical and ecommerce from 30 October.
It said the move was due to the ongoing situation in the country, that it has become impossible to resupply its product ranges.
Decathlon has been operating in Sri Lanka since October 2018 with two stores in Battaramulla and Union Place. The latter was closed in July this year.
Play...
In parallel Decathlon also operated an ecommerce website.
Decathlon however said its production activities in Sri Lanka will continue to operate as normal.
Decathlon S.A. is a French sporting goods retailer with over 1,697 stores in 60 countries and regions, it is the largest sporting goods retailer in the world.
Decathlon said it is committed to helping its local employees and is putting into place a comprehensive set of measures: relocation to local production sites and other teams in the company, financial and return-to-employment support to teammates moving outside of Decathlon.
It also thanked all of its customers and partners for the goodwill and support they have shown since entering Sri Lanka. “The welcome reserved for our concept and our products was amazing and we sincerely hope to restart our retail activities in Sri Lanka when circumstances permit,” it added.
FT