Fonds LK-NA/262 - Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Sports

A separate Department for Sports was created in 1965 as a result of a decision of the then Minister, Dudley Senanayake. This was attached to the Ministry of Nationalised Services as its Minister V.A.Sugathadasa was a veteran sportsman.
Since trained personnel in sports were limited in Sri Lanka it was decided, with the concurrence of the Ministry of Education to transfer the Officers to the Physical Education Branch of the Department of Education to the newly created Department of Sports. Accordingly, the first batch of officers were transferred on 1st May, 1967 to form the nucleus of the Department of Sports. Sports competitions were held in many parts of the country in 1968 and a National Sports Festical which lasted for one full week was held in Colombo in the following year. In 1970 K.B.Ratnayaka was appointed the Minister in charge of Sports and within a short spell of time this Department was upgraded to a Ministry. The Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Parlimentary Affairs and Sports.
The number of Officers was gradually increased to Two Hundred and Fifty. In addition to this Twenty-Four District Sports Officers and Twenty Coaches were also appointed. Thus the total had reached three hundred. On the 9th July 1973 with the Enactment of Sports Law No.25 of 1973, which came into force on 1st July 1973. The main functions of the Ministry under this Law were the setting up of (a) The National Sports Council (b) District Sports Committees (c) National Olympic Committees (d) National Sports Funds and (e) School of Sports.
In 1977 Vincent Perera became the Minister of Sports. He launched a project to publish sports literature in a modest way. This enabled the schools and other interested parties to purchase this publication at a nominal price. Aspirates School and a small reference Library were opened.