By Panchamee HEWAVISSENTI

[email protected]

Due to his gallant performance in the battle front, Edirisinghe Mudiyanselage Senanayake was nominated to take part in the T-56 rifle shooting competition in which the Army's top shooters exhibited their talents.

"I never dreamt of becoming a pistol shooter. It was by sheer chance" the able shooter exclaims with a beaming smile.

You said you had never thought that you would represent the country at the Olympics in pistol shooting event. Could you go back to the history and elaborate how you got into this kind of sport?

I joined the Army in 1990. There was a competition which was conducted on a unit basis and we were taken to Diyatalawa Army Camp for the competition.

Following my satisfactory performance at the competition, I was admitted to the Sniper Training School in Diyatalawa.I was initially trained there for exactly a month to improve my level of performance further and then was selected to the national team.

Did you ever imagine that you would represent Sri Lanka at Olympics before you joined the Army?

No. I never took part in the sport when I was schooling. I could master this only after I received a training and by serving in the battle front for more than seven years. I was attached to the 6th Sinha Regiment.

What sports did you excel in school?

I did 100m, 200m and high jump.

Where did you study and what type of attention did you pay to your studies?

I studied at Morayaya Sangabodhi Vidyalaya , Kandy. It was a rural school. I was neither studious nor sporty. I did both but didn't give priority to any. But I had a vehement passion to join the Army and therefore I could only study up to O/Ls.

Did your parents respond favourably to your decision to join the Army?

They didn't agree to my decision at all. But my will was so strong that their protest against my decision wasn't too powerful to stop me.

But they became very happy when I was selected to the national team because I was released from the battle front.

Could you share a little bit of your family background with us....

Of course why not! I'm the second in a family of five. All my siblings are married. My elder sister, younger brother and two younger sisters are living in Kandy.My parents are living at Ududumbara in our ancestral house. My father is a farmer and they're leading happy lives.

What revolutions came about in your life when you came back from the battle front?

There have been numerous changes in my life. Among them, my marriage, participation in international games and above all representing Sri Lanka at the Olympics are the most important.

I got married in 1998 and I am leading a happy life with my wife Nilanthi Chandrika and my two sons.

You mentioned about international games. What of them?

When I was selected to the national team I was given a further three months training. I took part in the nationals but could not win. Colonel D.B.Rajasinghe was of great assistance in putting the foundation once again. After I received an intensive training, I took part in the 8th SAARC games in Katmandu, Nepal in 1999. I bagged the silver medal. That was my first international medal.

I took part in the Asian Shooting Championship. Unfortunately I couldn't clinch any medal. I took part in the 9th SAAF Games in Pakistan in 2004 and we got the bronze in 10m group event. I bagged two bronze medals at the 50m free style pistol shooting events.

I also performed in the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2005. I bagged silver medal at the free style pistol -50m event and at the group event, silver medal in air pistol 10m, standard pistol bronze medal in group event in 10th SAF Games in 2006.

The Asian Shooting Championship which was held in Perth with 47 countries taking part was a landmark in my sporting career since I qualified for the Olympics.

Winning an Olympic medal is something every sportsman aspires. How was your basic preparation for it?

I have trained under the best of coaches including my present coach Brigadier A.W.Edema. He is a professor emeritus when it comes to guiding me when I look up to him for the right advice. He taught me technical points and all what a shooter should know at a competition.

Under my coach's guidance I prepared myself well for the Olympics.

If you have prepared well as you mentioned, why couldn't Sri Lanka grab any place in pistol shooting in Beijing?

That was a different story. I do not in any way attribute Sri Lanka's defeat at Olympics to my lack of preparation. I was embarrassed at the podium because there was a technical error in my pistol. Everyone including the sportsmen noticed the mishap.

If there was no technical error in my pistol I would have certainly bagged a medal at the Olympics because my national record is 579. Before I went to Olympics my score was 587 and the Olympic gold medalist's score was 585.

I had the confidence that at least I would be able to finish among the final 8 competitors.

Who is responsible for giving you a technically erroneous weapon at the game?

It was alright when I used it in Sri Lanka and when I started practising with it in Beijing, there was a slight problem in the weapon which would not affect the game and we asked a person from Germany to inspect the pistol and to correct if there was any flaw. I think he repaired it with more technical errors. I doubt If he did it deliberately to prevent me from bagging a medal. He was scolded by my coach after the event.

By the way, despite all this , how did you feel at the podium when you first represented Olympics?

It was unbelievable. I have seen the national flag go up in various international competitions but this time it was very special .I can never erase those euphoric feelings from my memory.

Being involved in the sport is like an addiction. Do you find it difficult to balance sport with your profession? And how about your preparation for the next Olympics in London in 2012?

I have already have high hopes about qualifying for the 2012 London Games. So for that I work hard!

My profession is not at all a hindrance to improve my level of performance in sport. That is to say, I have to work much harder. I'm determined to groom myself under the guidance of my coach, with hard work, application, planning and the right approach to the sport to be perfect.

Have you already planned your retirement in sport. Do you hope to become a coach with your vast spectrum of experience by the time you retire?

I have a lot to contribute to sports. Representing the country at the 2008 Olympics was another long journey. As I feel the real joy is in the journey; not reaching the destination. Since you asked about a retirement, I would say, retiring from sport does not mean anything to me these days. As you said earlier, being involved in the sport is an addiction. It's like repeating the 10s in shooting.

I feel that the shooters who are moving out of sport in the country have to be roped in as the coaching staff. For, I strongly believe that they can make a vast contribution.

Well, finally tell us what support you receive from the Army in bringing out the gold medalist in you ?

I'm immensely grateful to the Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka for providing the sportspersons in the Army with the necessary facilities. At a time the war is at a crucial stage the support from the Army Commander is a great thing and an achievement. I thank my coach, Brig. Edema for helping me to excel in the sport by balancing his work, and the Commandant of the Diyatalawa Training School- Sanjaya Wanasinghe for rendering a great assistance when I was preparing for the Olympics.

And also I should extend my heartiest thanks to my colleagues for encouraging me and appreciating my achievements.