Ashhar Hameem to steer SLAS for next four years

Text and pic by P.D. De Silva

Ashhar Hameem, a founding member and a former President of the Southern Motor Sports Club, was elected uncontested as President of Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), the controlling body for motor sports in the country while Shehan de Tissera of the Colombo Motor Sports Club and Upulwan Serasinghe of the Negombo Motor Sports Club were elected as Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of SLAS was held at the auditorium of the Institute of Sports Medicine last Monday. The election committee headed by Major General (Retd) Mano Perera comprised of Champa Gunawardena and Olga M. Gamage (Director of Sports, Education Department) did not have to go through the chores of counting votes as election to all the posts were uncontested.

In the run-up to the SLAS AGM four objections filed were rejected by the election committee while the Court of Appeal turned down an application made by the Nuwara Eliya Motor Racing Club praying for an interim order to prevent the AGM being held.

Ashhar who hails from Matara is an old boy of Rahula College Matara and Royal College Colombo. He has been an active participant in the racing arena since the age of 16 and is an experienced driver who was the overall winner of the Ruhunu Rally for three consecutive years, the Negombo Rally 2002 and SLADAR 1000 in 2007. He represented the Southern Motor Sports Club on the SLAS committee and has also held the post of Vice President.

Motor sports in Sri Lanka has been placed in capable hands for the next four years as its new President is an International Race Official and Administrator trained by FIA-CAMS Australia and British Automobile Racing Club who has officiated at the Formula I races in Australia, India and thrice in Singapore. He has two decades of experience as an organiser, race director and steward of many motor races and rallies held locally.

Sharing his future plans with the media Ashhar said that with Namal Rajapaksa, a racing enthusiast as Minister of Sports, and international racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa as a member of the National Sports Council he would have their support to develop the sport. 

He said that constructing a race track and a tarmac to International standards and improving the safety and welfare of drivers would be given priority. “We hope to promote more one make races of international level which would attract foreign participants before the tenure of this committee ends,” Ashhar added.

New office bearers of SLAS

• President – Ashhar Hameem (Southern Motor Sports Club)
• Vice President – David Todd (Motor Racing Association)
• Vice President – Suminda De Silva (Sri Lanka Association of Racing Divers and Riders)
• Secretary – Shehan De Tissera (Colombo Motor Sports Club)
• Asst. Secretary – Rizvi Farouk (Sri Lanka Auto Sport Drivers Association)
• Treasurer – Upulwan Serasinghe (Negombo Motor Sports Club)
• Asst. Treasurer – Col. Dumida Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka Motor Cycle Club)

Council Members (two representatives each from the 9 affiliated clubs)

• Southern Motor Sport Club – Dr. Sanjaya Sedara Senarath and Eranda Wakista 
• Ceylon Motor Sports Club – Yohan Lawrence and Safraz Junaid                                                                                 
• Sri Lanka Motor Cycle Club – Dhanmmika Pieris and Suranjith Premadasa
• Asian Motor Racing Club – Dinesh Jayawardena and Jaliya Jayasekara
• Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders – Pubudu Wickrama and Kamil Hussain     
• Negombo Motor Sports Club – T.G.N. Gamini and Malaka Herath
• Motor Racing Association – Namaz Fawzy and Kalim Iqbal
• Sri Lanka Autosport Drivers Association – J yantha Fernando and Janaka Dias
• Motor Sports Club – Ryan Grey and Abeeth Dangalla
• Probation Club Representatives: Army Motor Sports Committee – Brig. Indu Samarakoon and Maj. M.M. Chandana