Sports Minister Lokuge renders good support...:

President Mahinda Rajapaksa led way to improve sports

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE and Leslie FERNANDO

DEVELOPMENT OF SPORTS: Sri Lanka still talk about 1948 London Summer Olympics, 400-metre hurdles silver medal winning performance of Duncan White, the Cricket World Cup victory and triumph by Susanthika Jayasinghe who became the first woman in Sri Lanka to win an Olympic medal at the 1997 Sydney Olympics.

Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam (Asian Games Gold Medalist in high jump 1958) Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, the first Sri Lankan boxer to compete at the Olympic Games since 1968 - Anurudha Rathnayake, Weight Lifter Chinthana Vidanage, about wonder boy of Sri Lanka swimming Julian Bolling.

In addition stars like Sugath Tillakaratne, Damayanthi Darsha, Billiards star M. J. M. Lafir and Boteju along with Golfer Nandasena Perera and Thuhasini too, have been spoken in Sri Lankan sports arena.

These sports legends from the pre-independence era have all performed at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Royal Colombo Golf Club, Reid Avenue Sports Complex and at international cricket stadiums.

Since independence, Sri Lanka have had only around eight international sports venues to boast of.

However when President Mahinda Rajapaksa who himself was the former President of the Amateur Athletic Association and high ranking official of the Volleyball Federation, made it a priority to develop sports.

Hailing from a village background, he also saw the oozing rural talent being wasted and decided to provide leadership to add more infrastructure facilities to cater to rural youth.

Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge said that within a short span of five years the government had constructed more stadiums, laid synthetic tracks and provided sponsorship to sportsmen and women that was not done for over five decades. Incentives by way of sports grants are being provided to talented youth to sharpen their skills and reach national level while foreign coaches are being provided to various sports in a bid to raise the standards.

Minister said that the Sugathadasa Stadium and existing venues were upgraded to meet the international sports demands and many new international venues were added.

New stadium

Sri Lankan sportsmen and sportswomen will greatly benefit with the opening of the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Diyagama, Homagama. This stadium is the second largest stadium in the country and will have the facilities of conducting a number of sporting events, namely track and field, football, rugby, volleyball, netball, basketball, rifle shooting, archery and swimming. The feature at the stadium will be the newly laid modern track which was installed at a cost of Rs. 37 million.

In addition, the track unlike the Sugathadasa Stadium, will consist of nine lanes. The stadium is constructed at a cost of Rs. 110 million under the Seventh Engineering of Sri Lanka Army, covering an area of 140 acres. It should be noted that if this stadium was constructed by a private firm, the cost around would be Rs. 350 million.

This stadium will have better facilities than the Sugathadasa Stadium. A hostel has been built to accommodate over 200 persons and there is also a auditorium for purpose of conducting lectures and meetings. A special medicine unit gymnasium and a meeting room are also available. There is also a swimming pool conforming to international standard and indoor stadium and official headquarters ready for use.

President Rajapaksa, in one of his addresses said if sports in Sri Lanka are to be developed, the Ministries of Education and Sports should work together. For the past 15 years this has been emphasized, but without results. School is the base of sports, therefore when he became the President, he instructed all sports loving officials to work hard and achieve better results.

National sports honours

For the fist time in the history of sports annals in the country, the National Sports Honours Award Ceremony was held in 2008 at the BMICH on the instructions of the President. Gamini Lokuge, Minister of Sports and Public Recreation, together with his hard working sports officials organised a superb show with 297 sportsmen and sportswomen of various disciplines being honoured. That was not the end. Enough does not seem to be an answer. President Mahinda Rajapaksa felicitated the winners of the 5th World Carrom Championship (men's team) and runners-up the women's team as well as the officials of the Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka at Temple Trees in August, 2008 to warmly greet them on their fine effort. Monetary gifts were handed to the members of the teams. President Mahinda Rajapaksa requested the Minister of Sports to grant whatever financial assistance and other assistance to the world class carrom players. Sports Minister Lokuge made a grant of Rs. 480,000 needed for the immediate purchase of quality carrom boards which were very essential to maintain their world standard.

New cricket venues

The rural folk have the greatest chance of witnessing World Cup matches at two venues in the year 2011. The two venues are: Suriyawewa Grounds at Hambantota and Pallekele Stadium will be ready for the matches and the construction work is in progress on the initiative taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka will now have seven venues for international matches.

"Our netballers brought honour and glory, winning the Asian Netball Championships held in Singapore in 2008. The Sports Ministry funded the Sri Lanka Netball team on the advice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Special development programmes in all districts are being implemented for the promotion of sporting activities."

"These programmes have greatly benefited the rural schoolchildren to show their hidden talent. These programmes will be continued further for the benefit of the schoolchildren", Minister said.

The International race track at Hambantota too would give an opportunity for rural folks to witness international events and would also usher porosity to the area.

Minister said that for the first time in the region an altitude training centre is being constructed at Nuwara Eliya to train both local and foreign athletes. "The venue adjoining Nuwara Eliya golf track would also have hostel facilities of international standard bring revenue to the government as well," he said.

This was a project that was talked for almost 15 years and now it would be a reality next year.

Minister said that most of the sports bodies were run by interim boards due to internal conflicts. "We have also mediated and these bodies are now being administrated by associations," he said.

A new 400 meter track and a swimming pool are being constructed in Dickwella to cater to rural youth and 10 public playgrounds are being built several areas including a complete stadium in Piliyandala. He said that the Torrington Sports Complex too is being developed while all sports venues in the Colombo District are being developed to meet high standards. "The Schools sports activities too have been looked in to and we are closely working with the Ministry and providing all assistance for that," he said.

Minister also said that politicians occupying top slots in sports bodies have been going on for decades and most of them have done yeomen service to the association they represent. "If the President of a sports body is not performing, members can refrain from elect him the next year," he said. Commenting on the future plans of the government he said that after the elections, the development drive would continue and sports development too would be a priority as it helps nation building. "The envisaged development would elevate the country to a new level and create a sporting and healthy society," he added.