Selection hullabaloo let the backbencher represent Sri Lanka instead of a top rank at World Championships
Attygalle, who has represented Sri Lanka twice internationally this year and consistently outperformed his rivals, was replaced by Thenuka Nawaratne, a gymnast who has not even met the official World Championship qualifying standard, according to both federation and competition records.
“This change was made under pressure,” a senior federation official told.
The final team that represented Sri Lanka included men’s national champion Nadila Nethviru, women’s champion Nuyara Fernando, and Thenuka Nawaratne – leaving out Attygalle, whose supporters insist was ‘the rightful choice’ based on performance, ranking, and international exposure.
The controversy deepened when it emerged that Nawaratne’s father had made a direct appeal to the National Sports Selection Committee (NSSC), chaired by Olympian Sriyani Kulawansha. Following that appeal, the NSSC reportedly asked the National Gymnastics Association’s selection committee to ‘review its criteria’, after which Nawaratne replaced Attygalle in the team list.
Jaydon Attygalle
According to SLNGA General Secretary Udara Liyanwala, the process violated federation procedures.
“We selected Nadila, Jaydon, and Nuyara based on national rankings and international results,” Liyanwala said.
“Thenuka’s name was not in our final list. His father appealed, and the NSSC handled it directly. That was irregular.”
He added that only two selectors signed the approval, even though the constitution requires at least three signatures.
“The selection was done with just two members, making it procedurally invalid,” Liyanwala revealed.
“It is clear the process was manipulated after pressure.”
The statistical contrast between the two gymnasts is stark. At the 2023 Asian Championships, Attygalle scored 68.999 points, reaching the men’s all-around finals and finishing 24th, just behind Nadila Nethviru (23rd). By comparison, Nawaratne scored 41.032 points and failed to qualify for the finals.
At the FIG World Challenge Cup this year, Attygalle recorded 11.566 points on floor exercise and 11.933 at the Asian Championships, while Nawaratne managed only 8.5 points at the National Championships. Despite these clear differences, it was Nawaratne who boarded the flight to Jakarta.
Sources close to the 21-year-old UK-based gymnast say that Attygalle was not informed about the local selection trial that was later used as the deciding factor.
“He (Attygalle) was never informed about the trial.”
“The original criteria were based on international performance, not a new local trial,” one source said. “Jaydon met those international standards easily.”
Attygalle’s father has written to the Minister of Sports and the NSSC, demanding transparency and fairness.
“We don’t want to stop anyone from going,” he said. “But the system must be fair. If this continues, athletes will lose trust in the process.”
When contacted, NSSC Chairperson Sriyani Kulawansha denied any wrongdoing and said her committee only approved what was submitted officially.
“We don’t change the federation’s selections. The federation sent us a document with the names, and we approved them,” she explained.
“Jaydon was not in the Sri Lanka Selection Trial, and that was the reason. When we checked, his name was not on the list.”
Kulawansha added that the committee ‘summoned the gymnastics selectors’ and acted according to their confirmation.
“Since gymnastics now comes under the Sports Ministry, we followed the proper procedure. We cannot add or remove names without official grounds,” she said.
Liyanwala, the General Secretary of SLGA however, questioned the entire process.
“Thenuka Nawaratne, who was sent instead of Jaydon, does not meet the qualifying standard for the World Championship,” he said.
“Normally, after the selection committee finalises the names, I send the official letter to the NSSC. But this time, the NSSC directly handled the appeal without the federation’s technical input.”
He also highlighted Nawaratne’s poor domestic record.
“Thenuka was the last at the recent Central Province Gymnastics Championship. Normally, we do not select such athletes for a world event,” Liyanwala said firmly.
While the selection row overshadowed Sri Lanka’s participation, Nadila Nethviru and Nuyara Fernando shone in Jakarta. Nethviru scored 11.933 with a start value of 15.70 in the Pommel Horse, a result that makes him a potential Commonwealth Games medal contender – one of the best ever scores by a Sri Lankan gymnast.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Nuyara Fernando achieved a historic all-around total of over 40 points, the best-ever performance by a Sri Lankan female gymnast at a World Championship, placing her among Asia’s top young talents. The controversy, which has now drawn the attention of the Sports Ministry, has sparked serious questions about transparency and governance in Sri Lankan sports selections.
“If national athletes who meet international standards can be dropped for political or personal reasons, it’s a serious setback,” said a gymnastic expert.
“We need an independent system that protects athletes, not personal influence.”