COLOMBO: FIFA has lifted the suspension on Sri Lankan football following assurances that there will be no political interference in the sport in the country, the local federation said Tuesday.
The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) said it received a letter from FIFA removing the ban that was imposed in January.
In its letter, football’s global governing body said it took note of moves to hold fresh elections at the FFSL next month and assurances from the sports ministry to allow the FFSL to function without government interference.
“FIFA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) will continue to monitor the situation until the elections on September 29, 2023,” the local board was told.
The world governing body of rugby also suspended Sri Lanka in May after alleging political interference in the administration of the game.
FIFA suspended Sri Lanka’s national federation, back in January, a month after issuing it with a “red notice” over governance issues.
That warning came after the Ministry of Sports introduced a raft of regulations that reportedly compromised the autonomy and independence of national sports bodies, including the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL).
The FFSL held an election, which reportedly fell short of standards agreed upon with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), in which an ally of the sports minister became chair.
In a letter, FIFA said the FFSL was suspended “until further notice”.
Sri Lanka’s men’s team are ranked 204th in the world and the women’s 153rd.