Susanthika to drive the Bens
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Sri Lankan’s only medalist at the Olympic Games and double medalist at the World Athletics Championships, Susanthika Jayasinghe, has come forward to offer her expertise as advisor to the Benedictine Athletic Squad this year.
Jayasinghe stated this at a seminar conducted by her, for the entire Benedictine Athletic squad, coaching and support staff, brothers and teachers conducted to athletics at SBC and parents of all the athletes at St. Benedict’s.
Outlining her life story, she described how she went through her journey from an underprivileged rural background, overcoming all its disadvantages, struggles and obstacles with grit and determination, to ultimately bring Olympic and World Championships glory and honour to Sri Lanka. Jayasinghe kept the entire audience, young and old spellbound, on how she faced difficult situations, how hard and methodically she trained and how focused she was right throughout to attain her goals.
Her description of how she felt, when Sri Lankan flag went up at the packed Sydney Olympic Stadium, brought tears to some of the young hopefuls. It was an object lesson for all the youngsters. She also advised the coaches and teachers on how to handle their charges to bring out the best in them. She also had a strong message to the parents, the most important role they play, in moulding, guiding, disciplining and supporting their children.
She congratulated the Benedictine coaching and support staff, led by national coach I.D. Premasiri, the head coach, who she described as probably Sri Lanka’s best sprint coach and the dedicated master-in-charge and junior coach Nuwan Abeywickrema, for their scientific approach in training the young athletes, which saw the Benedictines achieving great success in 2015.
Last season they won the Colombo Zonal Athletic Meet, Junior Sir John Tarbet Athletic Championship, Saints Quadrangular Athletic Championship, emerged runners-up at Senior Sir John Tarbet Athletic Championship and the Western Province Athletic Meet finished second runners-up at the Sri Lankan School Athletic Championship.
The former undisputed sprint queen noted the encouragement and the support of the Director of SBC, Rev. Bro. Henry Dissanayake and the energetic and ever positive sport coordinator young Brother Pravin Vaz. She said that it is her hope that the next Olympic medals for Sri Lanka at the Games in 2024 will be won by some of the young hopefuls who were listening to her. She also said that the Susanthika Jayasinghe Academy of Athletics would be ready in five years and the young athletes of Sri Lanka will have a world class facility to train for 2024 Olympics and other regional and international meets. Her coach, American Tony Campbell associates her in the project.