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| Sunday, 15 August 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Straight talk by Lal Gunesekera Susanthika and officials hoodwink country It's a shame on you Susanthika Jayasinghe for hoodwinking your country and its citizens, particularly all those persons and establishments who have generously helped you in cash and kind for your exploits on the track since you won a silver medal at the World Championships in Athens, Greece in 1997. You brought glory and honour to your motherland at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 by winning a bronze medal in the 200 metres - a medal for the country after 52 years since the late Duncan White brought in a silver medal at the London Olympics in 1948 in the 110 yards hurdles. This 28-year-old athlete from Warakapola in the Kegalle District, has been a controversial personality right from the time she started hitting the headlines sometime back. She was given generous sponsorship packages from various establishments, not to mention the other rewards that came her way after her exploits in Greece in 1997 and Sydney in 2000. She was even given a heroes welcome at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on her return from Sydney. She was accused of taking a banned anabolic steroid in 1995, but was cleared of all charges. Again she was tested positive for the identical drug in 1999, but was cleared once again. She accused a politician of 'sexual harassment' and spat out venom at persons who were good enough to help her in her athletic career. Her verbal abuse on Brigadier Parry Liyanage at the March-April South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Pakistan saw a disciplinary inquiry being held by retired SSP Premila Divakara. But what came out of it ? Your guess is as good as mine. A two-page report was submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports about a month back, but according to the Secretary of the said Ministry, it was 'not a very comprehensible' report which suggested a warning given to Jayasinghe. Was this done, and was only a warning adequate for the way she behaved and language used ? Now it's the latest episode in her career. Picked to be Sri Lanka's overall captain for the Olympic Games to be staged in Athens, Greece, Jayasinghe, as soon as she set foot on Greek soil dropped a bombshell when she announced that she will not be competing. She had qualified to run in the 100 metres, but not for the 200 metres, which is her pet event - an event which won her a bronze medal in Sydney four years back. The reason - a leg injury and her doctors advising her to rest for at least four months. UNETHICAL NOC According to Jayasinghe, she had informed officials of both the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports two weeks before about her inability to run in Athens. If this statement of Jayasinghe is correct, then its unethical on the part of the NOC to even select her as a competitor leave alone overall captain of the country's contingent. Even the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has to be blamed - they should not have ratified her selection. Now, Susanthika Jayasinghe is enjoying a joy ride. The Secretary of the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) of Sri Lanka, Prema Pinnawela, who was also one time Secretary - General of the NOC, told me that Jayasinghe had not informed the AAA about her injury and inability to run. He said," If she had done so, we would not have picked her. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Jeevan Kumaratunga (he too is to go for the Olympic Games in Athens) says that he was informed about Jayasinghe's injury and inability to run in Athens, but as a token of gratitude he decided to send her to Greece, but ordered that her husband and coach Dhammika Nandakumara cannot accompany her to Athens. A similar incident happened at Bangkok, Thailand in 1998 at the Asian Games when Jayasinghe once again citing a 'leg injury' made an exit. Both husband and wife (Nandakumara and Susanthika) were present at Temple Trees on August 5 when the Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapakse felicitated the Sri Lankan contingent. Even then, not a word was uttered about her so-called injury and inability to run in Athens. It was all 'hush, hush' till she set foot in Athens. MEDICAL MEN ALSO TO BLAME Jayasinghe not running at Athens did not come as a surprise to many. I too saw it coming and asked the question in my column last Sunday (August 8) whether she will face the starter. News has also reached Colombo about her complaints once again on the Sports Medicine Unit of the Ministry of Sports headed by Dr. Geethanjana Mendis. She has said that the doctors attached to this unit had failed to heal her injury on time. Another point to consider is whether personnel in this unit examined the Sri Lankan competitors to see whether they were fit or not to compete in Athens ? If they did how did Jayasinghe escape ? The obvious is that they have not done the job they are there for. This is it. ... the end of the read for Jayasinghe. I cannot see her running at international level and winning medals again. She may win at regional meetings - lets wait and see. All her utterings have proved to be damp squibs. SLRFU IN UTTER MESS The Sri Lankan Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) is in an utter mess. They suspended CR & FC for the rest of the season for playing a person who was not released by his previous club in the Caltex League Tournament. CR went to courts, challenging its suspension and got an enjoining order against the SLRFU. Now, CR, can play in the Caltex Clifford Cup Knock-Out Championships. This is the first time in the history of the SLRFU that they were taken to court and it's not going to be the last too. It looks as if the most important qualification to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SLRFU is being able to find sponsors for its various activities. Chandrishan Perera, who was its CEO until a few days ago, tendered his letter of resignation with immediate effect as he just could not stomach the gutter language used on him by SLRFU President in front of other office staff. He was found fault for not finding sponsors. Before Perera's resignation, three others were forced to quit - Zainudeen (who served the SLRFU for a number of years), Mana Saghadevan and even an office peon. QUESTION MARK ON SLRFU FINANCES The SLRFU finances have been the talking point for quite a long while and they (the SLRFU) must come up and show how monies are spent. The International Rugby Board (IRB) gives the SLRFU 50,000 pounds (Rs. 9 million) a year for development purposes. But how is it distributed ? Its Technical Director, George Simpkin, is paid Rs. 4 million. He is not only in charge of 15's and 7's, but also development ousting Arjun Dharmadasa who took over from Y.C. Chang. A lot of money was also spent on telecasting matches every Saturday, but lack of finances brought about its end. A club spends an average of Rs. 4 to 7 million per season, and should not the SLRFU help them financially. |
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