Due to an error in the application, young World Championship netball players miss their trip to the UK.

A recent report by the National Audit Office reveals that twelve qualified netball players and two officials were unable to participate in the Youth World Championship netball tournament and had to remain in the country due to an error in the application form. The tournament was held in Gibraltar, England, from September 19 to 28 last year.

The submission of the application without obtaining proper approval from both the National Sports Selection Committee and the Ministry of Education for the players and officials participating in the said tournament has led to this situation. Although the team was unable to participate in the tournament, the Sports Development Department has wasted a sum of one million fifty-three thousand eight hundred and seventy-five rupees on air tickets, visa fees, food, and accommodation facilities for these players and officials, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the audit report also points out that no steps had been taken to submit the financial statements for the years 2024 and 2025 related to ten major sports federations under the purview of the Director General of the Department of Sports Development for audit. Furthermore, it states that by the year 2025, no replies had been provided to twelve audit queries directed to the relevant department.

Audit officials have also observed that less than 50% of the training opportunities planned by the Department of Sports Development have been provided. All these facts are included in the audit report issued in relation to the 2025 annual report of the Department of Sports Development.