Sports the victor

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has always been a keen promoter of sports. As the World Athletic (IAAF) President Lamine Diack pointed out during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa is the only IAAF Member Federation President to become a Head of State.

Thanks to the inspiration and helping hand extended by the sports loving President, Sri Lanka achieved many significant milestones in the sports arena during the last three years.

The most notable of them was the successful hosting of the 10th South Asian Games, at which Sri Lanka won as many as 37 gold medals, Susanthika Jayasinghe's IAAF World Championship medal and the Sri Lanka cricket team ending as the runners-up at the 2007 World Cup.

The most recent triumph for the country in the world of sport was the annexing of the Asian cricket 'crown'. Sri Lanka beat India in the final to emerge champions and take the Asia Cup this year.

For the first time in Sri Lanka's Test and one-day international cricket history, a soldier turned out to be a match winner. Ajantha Mendis of Army Sports Club made a dream debut for Sri Lanka and became the architect of Sri Lanka's Asia Cup success.

Several sports development projects have taken place during the last couple of years. There have been many rural sports development projects to lend a helping hand to up and coming needy sportsmen and women across the island.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave dynamic leadership to the organising committee of the 10th South Asian Games. As the Patron of the all-important Steering Committee of the 10th South Asian Games, President Rajapaksa was instrumental in giving able leadership to the organisers.

Sri Lanka bagged as many as 37 gold medals to finish second to regional giants India in the final medals standings of the 10th South Asian Games.

Our athletes had a rich harvest of 12 gold medals, which included a triple each by sprinters Susanthika Jayasinghe and Rohana Pradeep Kumara.

Incidentally, it was President Rajapaksa, as a senior Cabinet Minister of the then PA Government, who headed the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka when Jayasinghe bagged Sri Lanka's first and only IAAF World Championship medal in 1997. As a former AASL chief, President Rajapaksa played a key role in promoting track and field.

Our cricketers had their own share in Sri Lanka's sporting achievements during the past three years. The most significant of them all was Sri Lanka's advancement to the 2006 World Cup final. Led by Mahela Jayawardene, the Lankans emerged runners-up.At this year's ICC annual awards ceremony, Sri Lanka team won the "Spirit of Cricket" Award for the second consecutive year, for the way they play the game. Sri Lanka's newest discovery, Ajantha Mendis, who bamboozled the Indian "Fab Four" in the recent Test series, won the award for the ICC's Emerging Player of the Year, beating Ishant Sharma of India, Stuart Broad of England and Morne Morkel of South Africa.

Sri Lanka cricketers had their own share at the 2006 ICC awards ceremony too. The ICC Best Captain's award was won by Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene at the 2006 ICC awards ceremony. Earlier during the 2006 summer, Sri Lanka whitewashed England 5-0 in the five-match one-day international series after holding the hosts to a one-all tie in the three-Test series.

Having lost the first Test, Sri Lanka staged a magnificent comeback to square the series in great fashion.

Sri Lanka soccer team did well to secure the silver medal at the 10th South Asian Games. Despite losing to Pakistan in the final, the Lankans put up a gallant performance.

In swimming, teenagers Mayumi Raheem and Andrew Abeysinghe kept the Lion Flag fluttering high at the Sugathadasa Stadium pool - the venue of the 10th SA Games swimming competition.Raheem won a record total of ten medals - three gold, five silver and two bronze medals, a feat which would be hard to beat. Raheem rewrote Lankan swimming history by become the first local to win a swimming medal at a world class meet.Our national rugby team too fared well at the recent Asian meet. The Lankan rugby team finished runners up at the 2007 Rugby Asiad worked off in Colombo.

Sri Lanka also had the honour of Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly at which Sri Lanka NOC President Hemasiri Fernando was unanimously elected Vice President.