Discarded Olympian Markswoman takes aim at officialdom
Ruwini Abeymanne - Pic by Amila Gamage
While Olympic marksman Mangala Samarakoon turned his sights on the Sri Lanka Shooting Sports Federation (SLSSF) after his failure in Rio earlier this week, discarded Pistol shooter Ruwini Abeymanne leveled similar charges against the National governing body for ignoring her calls.
Abeymanne told the Sunday Times that she had fulfilled the requirements and the minimum qualifying standards to appeal for a wild card, after competing at the World Championships at her own expense, but the hierarchy concerned thought otherwise. ”I have no problem in Mangala (Samarakoon) representing Sri Lanka in Rifle shooting at the Rio Olympics, but then, there was the possibility of sending a Pistol shooter as well. Had the relevant officials appealed, Sri Lanka may have received a wild card that could have been used to send a Pistol shooter as well.
It necessarily would have to be me, while there are young shooters who are better prospects for the country,” a dejected but still spirited Abaymanne (46) said. Abyemanne, a veteran Pistol shooter with 24 years experience, has already bagged 7 Gold, 11 Silver and 8 Bronze medals at international events, while establishing 15 National records in Pistol shooting. She was also National champion in Pistol shooting 35 times, exposing the misconception that the sport is only for those in the armed forces. ”From what I gather with what has been taking place for years, probably decades, is that, there is a well executed manipulation by some in the armed forces targeting those from civil society, who are engaged in shooting sports. It’s been going on for so many years and it’s really disappointing as a shooter, personally, because I have done it all by myself.
It hurts,” Ruwini lamented. Abyemanne who represented Sri Lanka at the Sydney 2000 Games, claims that Samarakoon, as a matter of fact, is not the best as claimed by many, and is the favoured individual of a few. She is aghast by the fact that Samarakoon has never taken part in an International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Championship to even reach the Minimum Qualifying Standards (MQS) to represent Sri Lanka’s in shooting sports. Samarakoon finished 50th in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle event at the Rio Olympics on Monday. ”There’s something going on, which is never in favour of shooting sports in Sri Lanka. It was a sport totally dominated by the armed forces, and many were of the view that ordinary people, or civilians, were not a deserved lot. But today, the entire picture has changed completely.
It’s overwhelming to see so many civilians from private clubs and schoolchildren dominate the scene. But some old hands are adamantly standing their ground that shooting sports is for the armed forces and should be managed by them. It’s wrong and by now they should have got the message,” Abeymanne, hoping for an end to favourism, explained. In spite of reaching the MQS mark of 365 for Women’s 10m Air Pistol and 555 for Women’s 25m Pistol as indicated by the ISSF, she expressed her disappointment for the manner in which the relevant officials acted on her request. She obtained 373 in the 10m and 569 in the 25m events. ”Leave me aside, if I’m overage, as one of them said, there are other shooters, potentially better than I am. The only reason why I and some of the other Pistol shooters were ignored was because we are civilians.
I owe much to the Sri Lanka Army, because I began my 5-year career there in 1989. Then I went on to represent SriLankan Airlines for 5 years before joining MAS, where I was able to engage in the sport, fully focused. I represent the Negombo Rifle Shooting Club and there are many who are taking up this sport, but due to the biased conduct of a few, it is stagnating rather than going forwards,” Abeymanne said. Despite her earlier misgivings about the SLSSF, now under incumbent President Shirantha Pieris, the first civilian to head the sports body, who had to face a long-running legal battle for various reasons, mainly influenced by a few individuals connected to the armed forces who governed the federation in the past, he has been more successful. Being a shrewd management specialist, even initiating Sri Lanka’s first ever National Shooting Range.
robably, Abeymanne was unfortunate, as these developments are taking place when she is compelled to think twice about continuing as a shooter. ”I have had offers from a few countries in the past, but I turned them down, because I was always passionate about representing my country at any level. But now, my thinking is elsewhere. When countries such as Australia and Pakistan could take their shooters, who incidentally reached my marks of 373 for the Rio Olympics, my officials failed me. I may have to face the consequences of speaking out, and if such a situation comes to pass, I will put aside all my efforts, energy, commitment and personal spending on shooting for the last 24 years, and concentrate on my profession at MAS. For now, I don’t want anything, neither do I don’t want this kind of shortsightedness, bias and ignorance to continue and affect the future generation of shooters who are more promising,” making her final call, Abeymanne holstered her pistol.