NOC Sri Lanka successfully conducts fifth Advanced Sports Management Course

By Hishan Welmilla

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has successfully completed its 5th Advanced Sports Management Course by awarding an advanced sports management diploma to 13 graduates.

They were honored with a Diploma in Olympic Sports Organisation Management. 

The graduates were representatives from the Ministry of Sports, national sports governing bodies, provincial associations, universities and major sports institutes in Sri Lanka concerned with sports administration and management.

The final graduation ceremony of the fifth intake was conducted on 8 September at the NOCSL’s Olympic House under the patronage of its President Hemasiri Fernando, who served as the ceremony’s Chief Guest.

As a strategic initiative of Olympic Solidarity, the Advanced Sports Management Course (ASMC) was introduced as an academic initiative of NOCSL in 2007 and 2009. The first ASMC commenced with 13 candidates.

“As a world program, ASMC has produced 81 graduates with these 13 graduates who were awarded the diploma in the 5th intake. At present the majority of them serve in different institutions which are responsible for the development of sports in Sri Lanka,” said NOCSL ASMC Program Director Prof. B.L.H. Perera.

According to Prof. Perera, at present ASMC in Sri Lanka is recognised as a model initiative in South and Central Asia. It has taken a number of initiatives to commence and conduct ASMC by providing expert advice and services to the respective NOCs. 

“Sri Lanka was invited to share the experience gained in conducting ASMC for the training of Program Directors of Olympic Solidarity of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” Perera added. 

When asked about the provisions for foreign participants to apply for ASMC, Prof. Perera stated that anyone who was involved in sports administration in any part of the world could take part in this program if they had the required qualifications set by NOCSL as a entry criteria and they could apply through their respective NOCs and also with the consent of Olympic Solidarity.

The one-year course comprises six modules which expand from the grassroots level to the highest level of sports management. The participants of the fifth intake have selected, researched and analysed 78 locally-detected issues related to case studies, 26 major analytical case study reports to cover six study modules relevant to sports management apart from 150 hours of classroom discussions, presentations and reviews and unlimited hours away from the classroom environment. That has provided broader knowledge of sports marketing, managing finance and organising major sports events as well.

As a pioneer, ASMC has had the opportunity to serve Sri Lanka and South and Central Asia in a unique manner using a very basic conceptual approach by creating ‘learning communities’.

“The National Olympic Committee is on the right path, achieving the desired educational objectives as per the International Olympic Committee guidelines. It’s good to see more and more professionals who are in sports engage in this ASMC program and it’s creating future resource persons in the sports administration and management of Sri Lanka,” said the Chief Guest Hemasiri Fernando.

Another live wire of ASMC, NOCSL Secretary General Maxwell De Silva believes that all the participants of this program will actively lead situations related to sports management within the country, which is the central purpose of this program, and get actively involved in NOCSL activities.

NOCSL has already called for entries from interested parties for its 6th ASMC program this year.