Taking up the Rio challenge
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Sri Lanka will field a contingent of around ten members for the forthcoming summer Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August.
Already, three athletes have gained qualifying standards. They will be joined by two swimmers, a shooter and a badminton player. However, the exact strength of the Sri Lankan contingent for the XXXIst Summer Olympic Games in Rio will be known after the International Olympic Committee deadline ends on July 4. The Sri Lankan contingent for the Rio Olympics are, Athletics: Anuradha Indrajith Cooray (men’s marathon), Geethani Rajasekera (women’s marathon), Sumedha Ranasinghe (men’s javelin throw), Badminton: Niluka Karunaratne (men’s singles), Swimming: Mathew Abeysinghe, Kimiko Raheem and Shooting: Mangala Samarakoon (Men’s Rifle)
Yogananda Wijesundera
(Former National Athletic Coach and Retired
Director of Institute of Sports Science)
” We won the first ever medal in London Olympics1948, in the 400 metre hurdles by Duncan White. And after 52 years, Susanthika Jayasinghe won the second medal in the 200 metre event at Sydney Olympics 2000. The two medals that we won,I don’t think it was done with a long term planning. After Susanthika won the silver medal in 200 metres at World Championships in Athens 1997, then only we realised that we are placed 6th in World rankings in 100 and 200 metre events. Then only we planned the future accordingly. This time there are only three athletes qualified for Rio. But these three athletes after qualifications in last three months, would not be able to win a gold medal at the recently concluded South Asian Games( SAG). They could not meet the timing they have set before at the SAG games.
Hence how do we think of winning an Olympic medal? The SAG womens 100 meter gold medalist Rumeshika Ratnayake did not qualify for Rio due to poor timing in qualifiers. But the interesting point is, the Indian athlete Srabani Nanda, who won the silver medal improved her timing in qualifiers and is included in Indian contingent for Rio. From this events we can see, our athlete could not improve on her timing but the Indian athlete would be able to do so. Susanthika’s achievement of winning the silver medal and the progress of other athletes, could be attributed to the performance of our athletes in the SAG of 1991 and 1993.
The athletes in calibre of Susanthika Jayasinghe, Damayanthi Darsha, Sugath Thilakaratne, Prasanna Amarasekara and Rohan Pradeep Kumara, later went into win their respective events at Asian championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and won medals. It was a very victorious decade of athletics for Sri Lanka. But presently we don’t have a similar situation now. I think the root cause for this detrimental situation is, Minister of Sports is planning events. But it should be the other way around with Sports Ministry involving and planning events”.
- Ruvini Dias
( Brand Manager- JAT Holdings Pvt Ltd.)
” Well the chances for our athletes may be slim when competing against the World class athletes at Rio Olympics. But I expect them to perform with total determination and commitment and they might get an outside chance of clinching a medal.”
Sriyani Kulawansa
(Asian and Commonwealth Medalist and Participant in Three Olympics)
“Presently we cannot see any prospect of wining an Olympic medal in the future. If we really planning to win an Olympic medal, we must search for talented athletes who are under 18 and then proceed with a 8-year training plan. This cannot be done by athletes and coaches alone. For this purpose Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sports, sport bodies, coaches, parents and athletes should get together and act. The Ministry of Sports should finance the plan and supply all the resources needed. The sport bodies should lay down the plans.The parents should give their total backing. The athletes should be discipline and have the desire within themselves to achieve success. Then definitely we can achieve the same feat in athletics in the period of 1990′s to 2000.Then we would be able to bag medals from South Asian Games level to Olympics. For all this, the commitment of everybody is required”.
Gregory de Silva
(Consultant Human Resources and Physical Education/ Secretary National Selection Commitee)
“Our sport on the whole is in a downward trend and it is mainly due to not having a national sports policy. If we have a national sports policy, Sri Lanka would be able to rise to the top level from bottom and win an Olympic medal. In some sport bodies, they have policies only for the namesake. Now we are on the process of building up a national selection policy until 2017. Even if the Minister of Sports, the officials and governments are changed, the national selection policy won’t be changed. Today in some sport bodies, even before the team is selected, we have seen officials being selected. From this events we can see how they are interested about uplifting the sport here in Sri Lanka? For this situation, the officials in the past and present are totally responsible. We have talented athletes, but if guide them properly with a long term plan, surely we can achieve the desired results.”
Keerthi Hettiarachchi
(Senior Project Director, SOS Children’s Village Sri Lanka)
“Though we are a tiny nation, in sports on the whole we have achieved greatness. Hence it is a major achievement by Sri Lanka. For instance in Olympics, so far we have clinched two medals in years 1948 and 2000, 1973-World Billiard championships,three cricket championships, 1996 Cricket world cup winners, 2002 ICC trophy joint champions and 2014 ICC T20 champions, 2006 Gold medal in weightlifting at Commonwealth games and 2012 World Carrom championships. Hence we have a very proud history as a small nation. With a sports background like this, even if we could not win a medal at Rio, if we have a long term plan surely we would be able to clinch a medal in the future Olympics.
I think the best era in sports for Sri Lanka was the period between 1990′s to 2000. If we had proceeded for that plan, we would be able to go for a medal in future Olympics. We have talented athletes in school level. We have to promote them and it is the duty of all responsible parties. If we have the full backing of state and mercantile sector, we would be able to achieve the decade of 1990′s to 2000 in all sports. Also from coaching end,the techniques should be improved and they should be sent for international coaching clinics. Also our athletes should be disciplined, and have the commitment and determination to win. If we proceed like this with a perfect plan, it is not a dream for Sri Lanka winning medals at Olympics”.
R.A.Wimalasena Perera
(Marathon Runner at Mexico City Olympics in 1968)
“For 26 -years from 1966 to 1992, my marathon record was not broken. I don’t think we have a chance of winning a medal again. For me it is a dream. Yes, it is true Duncan White and Susanthika Jayasinghe won silver medals. It was due to the background at that time. We may have won gold medals at South Asian Games (SAG). With this, winning gold medals at Olympics is not a reality at all. SAG is a relatively easier task in sports. Our main target should be Asian Games, and if not Commonwealth Games. For instance Susanthika Jayasinghe, first won medals at Asian Games and World Championships before winning the silver at Sydney Olympics in 2000.
As we don’t have a long term plan in all sports, we prepare ourselves for meet by meet in a very short time, and it does not meet the expectations at all. We have to participate in Olympics but there is no point sending dozen of athletes without proper qualifications plus dozen of officials. It is a complete waste of public money. Only three athletes went for the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. They were — Sailing (Philip Wijewardena) Boxing (Hatha Karunaratne), who competed in Light fly weight and myself in the marathon. Today due to wild card entries, we can see dozens of officials taking the opportunity and traveling by wasting public money.”
Dilhan Abeyratne
(Treasurer,Sri Lanka Golf Union)
” Well, our chances are slim. I don’t know about our medal situation at Olympics. It would be tough for our athletes and swimmers. We don’t have athletes in calibre of Susanthika Jayasinghe to make a difference at International level. On the other hand, when speaking on golf, Mithun Perera is in the border line for selection for Rio Olympics. But winning a medal is not everything at Olympics.By participating is the most important thing.That is the Olympic ideology is all about.”
Richard Gunawardena
(Marketing Manager- JAT Holdings Pvt Ltd.)
“I think Sri Lankan team, if they are determined and raring to go, I am sure they have a outside chance of winning a medal at Rio Olympics. This is a nation that has produced two silver medallists. And we have been participating in Olympics since 1948. Hence I think if they can put their total effort, they won’t be able to miss a medal. Also the timing, our athletes have clocked in South Asian Games (SAG), cannot be compared with the timing of Asian Games and World Athletic championships of same events. But still if they believe in themselves, they would be able to turn the tables on favourites”.
Derwin Perera
(Former National Coach and of Susanthika Jayasinghe)
“By training in a very short period, you would not be able to win a medal especially at the Olympics. After identifying the talented athletics, we must train them for 7-8 years.We identified the talented athletics in 1991 and 1993 at South Asian Games (SAG), and we proceeded for a long term training plan. Due to this we had athletes like Susanthika, Darsha, Sugath and Sriyani. They met the Olympic qualifying standard timing. During this process, Susanthika went onto clinch the silver medal at Sydney Olympics in 2000. The rest of athletes went onto make a mark in Asian and Commonwealth games by winning medals. We cannot win Olympic medals from all sports.
We have to identify the sport that we have a possibility of winning a medal. We have to focus in sporting events like Athletics, Swmming, Weightlifting and Rifle shooting. Olympic medal is a special one. By winning a SAG medal,does not mean we can win an Olympic medal. If we target for an Olympic medal, the Ministry of Sports and Sport Associations should coordinate and put up a clear plan to achieve success. From a talent search, we must find young athletes and handover them to coaches for training. Coaches too should be given overseas training. Also we must have good stadiums with tracks for our athletes. Now take the two best stadiums in Sri Lanka-Sugathadasa and Diyagama. Both are unusable with tracks being broken”.
Roshini Sanghani
( Businesswoman)
” Our athletes are carrying aspirations of the whole nation on their shoulders. By getting into Olympics is a win-win situation. If Susanthika Jayasinghe, would be able to come to the top from humble beginnings, I hope rest of the athletes could take her as a shining example and put their total effort to bring glory to motherland. I hope the two swimmers Matthew Abeysinghe and Kimiko Raheem would be able to make a difference this time against the all odds,when competing against the World’s best. Who knows Kimiko Raheem will be the second Sri Lankan woman to win a medal at Olympics? I wish them all the best”.
Dian Abeywardena
(Manager Golf Promotion and Administration, Sri Lanka Golf Union)
“Well, as far as golf is concerned, there are chances of Mithun Perera getting into the contingent for Olympics. He is now playing a tournament in Taiwan and later in Thailand. If he would be able to end the tour with 450 points from these two tournaments, there is a possibility. But still it is early to decide. But winning a medal at Olympics are slim against the best golfers in the planet playing in International standard golf courses. When talking of the rest of the athletes, I would say we are not disciplined enough to win a medal. When you take athletes like Duncan White, he was disciplined. And Susanthika Jayasinghe was full of determination. The present athletes lack both discipline, determination and commitment. Hence the chances are very slim for our athletes to win a medal”.
Lalith Kumara
( Golfer)
” With good discipline and training, our participants will have an outside chance of winning a medal. They should have the commitment. I firmly believe they would be able to do it.”