LPL Upholds Integrity: Dambulla Thunders Terminated After Owner's Arrest

After club owner Tamim Rahman was arrested in Colombo on Wednesday, the Lanka Premier League (LPL) decided to sever its contract with Dambulla Thunders, one of the five playing teams, effective immediately. The 2019 Prevention of Offenses Relating to Sports Act, which deals with corruption, is what led to his detention.

The organizers took action against the Dambulla franchise management when they learned that Tamim Rahman, a Bangladeshi national and franchise executive, was detained by Colombo Police on suspicion of match-fixing. Rahman is the CEO of the Imperial Sports Group, which oversees the Thunders. Laws in Sri Lanka regard a number of offenses connected to match-fixing as crimes.

LPL stated:

"While the specifics of the charges against Mr. Rahman remain unclear, the integrity and smooth running of the Lanka Premier League are of utmost importance,". "By requiring all players to follow the greatest standards of behavior and sportsmanship, this termination/retraction of rights seeks to preserve the LPL's ideals and reputation. In order to minimize any interruption to the following season, the LPL management is working hard to handle the ramifications of this termination/retraction of rights."

This implies that the Thunders, one of the teams in the competition, are now without an owner. This year, along with Galle Marvels, it was one of the two newly acquired franchises in the Sri Lankan franchise league. Thunders were reportedly owned by Imperial Sports Group, which Rahman is said to have created.

In the league, there are five teams. The other four teams are B-Love Kandy, Colombo Strikers, Galle Marvels, and Jaffna Kings in addition to the Thunders. The Thunders are led by Kusal Mendis as captain. "We are committed to the highest standards of transparency and professionalism and will continue to support all our teams, players and fans during this transition." LPL rights holder Anil Mohan, head of IPG Group, stated.

Thunders recruited the Afghan combo of Karim Janat and Hazratullah Zazai to their ranks and kept many of the players from their previous avatar, Dambulla Aura, during the LPL 2024 auction that was conducted the day before in front of authorities from the ICC anti-corruption section. Janat, who went for US$80,000, actually received the highest bid among the new international signings.

In November 2019, the Prevention of Offenses relating to Sports law was enacted by the parliament of Sri Lanka, making it the first country in South Asia to criminalize several offenses relating to match-fixing.

"The LPL will go as planned; in the event that we are unable to locate an owner in time for the LPL, we will operate the side. We have handled two sides in the past, and we are prepared to suffer a financial setback," an LPL representative told on media. This year, the LPL is slated to take place from July 1 to July 21.