One time sports giants where are they?
View(s):Nagalingam Ethirweerasingham
By Bandula Molligoda
Nagalingam Ethirweerasingham One time high jump Asian record holder is still growing strong and keep himself fit.
Aged 78 currently living in Jaffna, he helps O/Level and A/Level school leavers in agriculture studies at the Jaffna learning institute University where he is the Professor of agriculture activities.
Dedication, fitness, determination and commitment are a ‘must’ he said if athletes are to make success and bring glory to country.
‘Ethir’ as he is popularly known worldwide in sports and agricultural fields, advocate that most talented sportsmen here are forced to leave school once they fail the O-level and A-level exams. Most of these sportsmen had devoted their entire time to sports and thereby have neglected their studies.
Because of their absence in the next year or season, the college team also gets weakened.
He laments that this type of situation is a great drawback.
He argued that most parents question “why are you against our children reaching the national level and represent Sri Lanka and also earn big money” to which Ethir quipped “How many sportsmen can reach this top level — not even one per cent ”
Ethir said this would result in students failing to reach their goal both in sports and education.
He cited that in USA, where he is a citizen they had designed a far sighted programmes to engage in sports and education and reach the graduate level in education.
For this purpose in USA education and sports are made compulsory from their young age. Once they reach the A-level standards they are diverted to the universities. At this stage, these students excel both in sports and studies at the university and thereafter reach the international level and those who had performed well at Olympic level are graduates from various universities.
He strongly advocates the Education Ministry to work out such a well planned system to encourage students in our country to reach such height both in sports and education.
Nagalingam Ethirweerasingham is the first Sri Lankan Gold Medalist in Asian Games (1958 Tokyo — High Jump) He represented Sri Lanka in Olympics 1952 in Helsinki. In 1956 at Melbourne and Commonwealth Games 1958 in Cardiff. He also represented the country at the Asian Games 1954 Manila and 1962 Djakarta (silver Medal – 1962)
He established Sri Lanka and Ceylon record in High jump from 1953 -1988 from 1953 – 1988 – (35 years) and was made the Sports Star of the Year in 1955/56.
“From the time of Sports Minister V.A. Sugathadasa in 1960s till 2010, I proposed Ministers and sports officials several programmes to develop and uplift the country’s sports, but very few of my suggestions have been heeded, while others have gone with the wind.
“Except for very few athletes we are SAF level performers. It is a human problem. It is best not to get into that.
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“It is important for athletes who have won medals at the Asian levels and beyond to form into an athletic policymaking organization and with funds to implement it with the support of a government body. The District Athletic Association and the schools that body should be funded without strings attached.
“Now I have reached 78 years. At present I am the Professor of agriculture in the Jaffna University Learning Institute, Kilinochchi. My entire time is devoted to the development of agriculture for all Northern School leavers in Jaffna and Kilinochchi.
“I had my early education at the Jaffna Central (1943-54) and later at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo (1954-55)”
He graduated from the California University, Los Angeles with a BSc in Agriculture, M.A and PhD in agriculture in Cornell University, New York.
At the time of the Northern War conflicts and tsunami, Ethir was enlisted as a social voluntary worker and served in rehabilitation work in the Northern area.
He lamented that most school and District and National coaches are not adequate to perform their duties. “There are some good coaches with vast experience coaching athletes”, said Ethir and added that they must be provided with in-depth training programmes.
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