By Victor Kanayo
Day after FIFA reportedly lifted its ban on Sri Lanka, the country’s football federation will now resume international activities.
The ban lifted from the Lankan FA means it can participate in the coming international window as from this weekend.
Confirming the latest situation, the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) said it received a letter from FIFA removing the ban.
Specifically, FIFA announced the ban on the Asian nation on January 21, for violations of FIFA rules in administration.
In a letter dated August 28 by Fatma Samoura, the FIFA Secretary General, it said that the FIFA bureau had decided on 27 August “to lift the suspension of the FFSL with immediate effect”.
FIFA said the scheduled Lankan FA election on September 29 would be closely monitored by them.
The suspension was caused by factional fighting and political interference in the sport body’s administration.
However, the different factions decided to work for the common goal of the game’s development at a meeting held two weeks ago, burying the differences between them.
FIFA had significantly called for the exclusion of local football administration from the existing national sports law, which empowers the minister of sports to interfere in the process.
The world governing body of rugby also suspended Sri Lanka in May after alleging political interference in the administration of the game.
A global ban imposed on Nigeria by the Rugby had been lifted few months ago.
