MARTIS’S INCIDENT IS BEING

CONDUCTED AFTER THE SCHOOL

UNION REPORTED IT

– DIRECTOR GENERAL OF SPORTS

Sanath Martis, the coach of the national rugby team, has

once again been accused of publicly assaulting a player from

the St. Peter’s College team he coaches. As someone who has

been punished for a similar act in the past, he once again

faces the risk of being sanctioned based on the regulations

of Asia and World Rugby.In this regard, Director General Professor Shemal Fernando,

who has been appointed by the Minister as the authority

responsible for the current administration of Sri Lanka

Rugby, states that he has not yet received an official

notification from the school federation about this situation.

He said that he also got to see this incident, but he is not able

to take action just because he saw it, and that he will take

further steps according to the reports submitted by the

Ministry of Education and the School Rugby Union

regarding the incident.

The Director General noted that, following consultations

with the officials assigned to referee the match and the

provision of other technical support to Sri Lanka Rugby, the

initial steps to address this issue will be taken once these

responsibilities are fulfilled.

Scientific considerations should be given to whether a public

beating can guide a youth in the right direction or if it will

undermine the self-esteem of a school-age boy and damage

his personality. A skilled coach like Sanath Martis must

consider various personality aspects while guiding a player

towards victory. If Sanath acts this way despite having

previously been punished and shown the legal repercussions,

it indicates that he has disregarded a legal fact of which he

is already aware.All are equal before the law. The World Rugby Federation is

also observing Sri Lanka’s conduct regarding this incident.

The global community will not only judge Sanath but also

evaluate whether Sri Lanka is in a conceptually advanced

state or remains in an outdated, tribal era.

In a country where the school system includes individuals

who believe a child cannot be raised without physical

punishment, and with the endorsement of the Ministry of

Education, there are those who can influence the removal of

attire worn at an international sports tournament. Also, some

people maintain mobile hair cutting stations in such festivals

with the inferiority complex of having the monopoly of

keeping the young man according to their needs. These

actions are internationally recognized as violations of human

rights, citizens of Sri Lanka still revere teachers as gods.

Consequently, teachers who do not conform to this godlike

image have managed to evade scrutiny due to the prevailing

opinion about these revered teachers. But since this moment

is now open to the world, it is true that the world is alert to

the actions taken for Sanath Martis.

The most important issue here is that Sanath Martis has

overlooked common good practices while continuing to

showcase his talent. By disregarding these ethical issues, he

is not only damaging himself but also harming the country

that could benefit from his talent.

However, a video released to the world shows Sanath Martis,

along with Ransilu Jayathilake, the internationally renownedweightlifting champion responsible for the physical fitness

of the St. Peter’s College rugby team. The video confirms

that they threatened and attacked a player, leading to a flurry

of opinions and criticisms on social media. We are closely

monitoring the report that the Schools Rugby Federation will

provide to the Director General of Sports in this situation