NOC vows to send ‘strong’ contingent of 8 for Tokyo Games
Sri Lanka’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) yesterday said that it would send a “strong” contingent of eight athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be held from July 23 to August 8 in Japan.
The NOC’s list confirmed equestrian Mathilda Karlsson, gymnast Milka Gehani de Silva and shooter Tehani Egodawela as participants but the remaining five slots have not been named.
“Sri Lanka’s 2020 Olympic contingent will comprise approximately eight athletes thanks to NOC’s good relationship with the International Olympic Committee. Topping the list will be equestrian Mathilda Karlsson who bought a direct ticket for the Games winning a legal battle after she was downgraded on a technical point by the authorities,” the NOC communiqué stated.
“For the first time in the history of NOC, Sri Lanka managed to get a slot in Olympics for gymnastics with Milka Gehani de Silva heading the Asian continental quota ahead of India’s Pranati Nayak,” it stated.
A student of Piliyandala Somaweera Chandrasiri Vidyalaya and Methodist College, Colombo, Milka is based in Japan after receiving a scholarship under IOC/Olympic Solidarity (OS) /NOC Scholarship programme.
Milka has represented Sri Lanka at several international competitions, and so far, proved she is the best in the business in local circles. She was Sri Lanka’s Junior National Champion from 2011 (when she was only eight years old) to 2014 and finished 6th in the Junior Commonwealth Games in 2016. She was National Champion in 2017 and 2018 and finished within the top 8 at the Asian Championship in Indonesia in 2018, becoming the first Sri Lankan to achieve the feat. She also represented Sri Lanka at the Youth Olympic Games 2018, setting a record.
“There (sic) as a result of the superior standards in the training centre and her ability to grasp them, Milka managed to achieve this feat,” it added.
Shooter Tehani Egodawela is the third confirmed participant for the Tokyo Games.
“Another slot has been taken by shooter Tehani Egodawela. OS/IOC confirmed that a slot has been allocated for her. NOC in consultation with President of Shooting Federation confirmed the acceptance of this slot for shooting. Tehani who is attached to the Sri Lanka Navy, is a former student at Good Shepherd Convent, Nayakakanda,” the NOC release added.
However, with just over a month remaining for the world’s most gala sporting event held once in four years, possibilities are high that the number of athletes who will qualify could reach above the numbers confirmed by the NOC. The qualification process for track and field athletes is still ongoing and Sri Lanka has the potential of qualifying a few athletes to the contingent other than those who are earmarked by the NOC.
“Most likely there would be two slots allocated for swimming too. It would go to one male swimmer and one female swimmer. The most likely to fill this slot would be Matthew Abeysinghe, Sri Lanka’s most decorated swimmer, and Aniqah Gaffoor — the female swimmer. So far no one is qualified for Tokyo and in any case, it is most likely the two slots will be allocated to NOC Sri Lanka by IOC.”
“Apart from the above, it is likely that two more universality places (wild cards) afforded to Sri Lanka either in judo, wrestling, badminton or weightlifting thus making our team contingent to eight athletes,” added the NOC statement.
Earlier scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 9 last year, the Olympics was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisers have stated that it will not allow international spectators.
Social media reported that Sri Lanka would be represented by over 50 officials from different capacities apart from the said eight athletes. However NOC, in its statement, confirmed that the maximum number of participants would be 15, including athletes, their coaches, managers, masseurs and administration officials.