|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 3 April 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Sprint stars dominate green politics Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake The new leaders of the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka (AASL), whatever one may have to say about their election, what with allegations of gun-toting vote grabbers and other tricks of elections to the controlling bodies of sports; are obviously in for a very good start.
Leading the new team of 100m sprinters is Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has suddenly discovered this to be his ideal event. Not all his running in the political field these many years, with so many losses on record, has given him a chance to show his capabilities in this very special sprint event. He believes so much the 100m event is what will take him right to the top in political athletics that he is warming up everyday for the big competition that is expected to take place around October or November next year. Performing even better than the team leader just now, is Rajitha Senaratne, who has taken to the 100m dash even better than a fish taking to water, and much better than a dentist extracting a tooth. That is all he talks about these days, and gives the impression that he will soon create a world record as the politician who has run the special 100m political event most and spoken of it the loudest. His behaviour these days is if he has been born to the 100m event and is determined to keep running the distance at least twice a day, and especially on TV. The 100m is the thing that makes him tick and gives him all the opportunity to attack the Government at depriving the public of enjoying the pleasures of a 100m dash for life at the first sign of the next rise in the tide. Vajira Abeywardena from Galle who also wears the green jersey is already showing that his long strides make him an ideal candidate for the 100m event. He talks of the 100m zone on the coast as if it is God's own gift to people like him to keep practising their political sprinting. He takes every opportunity to urge people who have fled the 100 m line to get back there and enjoy the fun of being exposed to another tsunami even of the milder variety. Also from Galle is Hemakumara Nanayakkara, making a bold effort to fill the gap in abusive political verbiage of the green kind caused by the absence of S. B. Dissanayake. He has more credentials than other runners of the 100m with the green jersey, as has proprietary interests in a tourist hotel almost within the 100m zone. He has also had good experience of what a tsunami can do within this distance, and is now insisting that everyone displaced from the 100m zone will be definitely settled back in the same place. Leading the green field in the Galle District, he seems certain that his getting into stride running the 100m will ensure him of retaining top position in the Galle list of the greens. Never getting off to a good start but always at the starting blocks at the political warm-ups for the 100m event is the Prof. Verbal Diarrhoea whose words continue to pour out faster than his legs can carry him. However, the man never gives up. He keeps in practice and seeks every opportunity to show the others that he will do well in the 100m relay event. The Prof. makes no bones talking about his experience in carrying the baton for other teams before this, and that he is always ready to carry anything for the green leader, even if it is something lesser than a baton. Other members of the green sprint team with experience in carrying baton for teams of different colours are Rajitha Senaratne and Hemakumara Nanayakkara, who have taken to the 100 m sprint having been earlier used to political long jumps from one team to another. One thing that bothers this team, with all their bets for the future being placed on the 100m event, is that the people who they keep urging to resettle on this limited zone for political sprint specialists are not heeding their advice, making it quite possible that the sprint team may find themselves alone on the track with no one to cheer them on when the race does begin. When I asked an athletics coach of what he thought was best for these sprinters to improve their skills in the event, his view was that all credible leaders, even those in athletics, should lead from the front. His suggestion was that this team would get good public backing if they gave up their homes that are far away from the 100m zone they speak so much about, and build them with all the best luxury fittings and settle themselves with families too, right bang on the waters' edge. That would give everyone else the assurance that these are real 100m specialists, who are ready to put their rich purses and stake their political futures where there mouths are. "There's no better sprint to success than that", he said. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
Susanthika Jayasinghe and others may be fading out, but despite
allegations about the steady decline in athletics, there is no shortage of
sprinters. In fact, the AASL must be glad there is already a quintet of
sprinters, especially for the 100 metres event. They are sprinters who can
run the 100m event solo, or form a strong relay team for the same distance,
with one on stand-by in the event of illness or injury to others. 
