All Sri Lankans back you 'Manju'

by Lt. Col. (Rtd) Ajith SIYAMBALAPITIYA

The rise and fall of heroes were experienced by the world at every level since the inception of civilized culture to date. The volumes of such cases are history and it repeats time and again. Most of the time, people are impatient to jump in to their own conclusions, with limited information or no facts at all. However, time has sorted many cases with natural justice to prove assumptions otherwise. Fall backs are temporary and truth wins eventually. The latest victim is our very own Manju Wanniaarachchi, who rewrote the Sri Lankan sports history by winning a Gold Medal in Boxing at New Delhi - 2010 Commonwealth Games for Sri Lanka after a lapse of 72 years. Today, he is tested positive for banned drugs at the preliminary test and in line hopefully for mercy of the 2nd opinion. My intention is to muster your sympathy for Manju as a national duty of all Sri Lankans, leaving the authorities to do him the formal justice.

There should be two accepted legal conditions, together to prove an omission or commission of act as illegal in both international and local law, namely, the intention and the act itself. In most of the cases, although the act is completed, the burden of proving the malafide intention lies with prosecutors. Accuse has to disprove the charges by presenting the good faith of his own action that led to a violation of law. Manju too, will follow the same procedure to prove his innocence.

We as sports loving Sri Lankans are pretty sure that Manju had no such intention to gain an undue advantage over his Wales opponent. Because with over 10 years of international exposure in boxing Manju knew better than all of us that he would be tested for drugs as an Asian winner.

He has a very clear history as a veteran boxer who captained Sri Lanka in boxing. Stones are thrown at ripped fruits and so with Manju. The responsibility of this issue seems to be laying elsewhere with a medical practitioner who treated Manju prior to Commonwealth Games. Basically, we all trust the treatments as patients on the basis of respect to the medical profession. Can we hold Manju accountable for someone else’s negligence or incompetency?

It was witnessed by all Sri Lankans through television that how well Manju managed Sean using fitness, techniques, tactics and psychological advantage. As opinioned by Aubry Peris, referee and judge of ABA, Sri Lanka and boxing Captain of Royal College in 1984, drugs cannot improve a player’s techniques, tactics and mental soundness. Further he added that Manju proved himself his superiority through his timely punches at the right place, quickly spotting the weaknesses of his opponent. Could all these decisive steps, under pressure, be possible by mere intoxication of a drug?

As Dian Gomes always says MAS Slimline at Pannala and its culture were not built overnight. It applies to Manju’s success as well. Manju, under Dian’s mentorship, has sacrificed his youth with blood and sweet for boxing of our motherland for over two decades. Being away from home, neglecting one’s family and career for years is not an easy task for anyone.

I doubt, whether Manju has eaten, what he liked for years, other than what he was told by dieticians to suite his sport.

He is still a bachelor at 31 + and reputed for his self-discipline in the name of his national duty. His ultimate goal is representing Sri Lanka at London Olympics in 2012. A true sportsman of Manju’s nature won’t let loose his credibility, earned with sheer dedication and talent over the years, over one night.

Manju is a practising Buddhist and he believes KARMA or consequences of your own acts. Hence his faith is with Triple Gem always. I personally know that he visited Temple of Tooth Relic in his home town Kandy, and “Sri Maha Bodi” - Anuradhapura within 12 hours of his arrival to Sri Lanka after winning the Gold Medal in India in order to fulfill his vow.

All these religious commitments were fulfilled on priority as his faith was from the bottom of his heart. He was also fortunate to fight in Commonwealth finals when all employees of MAS INTIMATES preaching “Pirith” to evoke blessings on him. Such a faith is stronger than any of the physical substance in the world. Manju was blessed with his religious faith and that made him psychologically strong.

Manju was groomed as a national boxer under the shade of MAS Holdings by Dian Gomes, the oasis of boxing in Sri Lanka. He himself is a junior national boxer at Royal College; single handedly carried the burden of funding and administrating boxing since 1998 to enhance the popularity and quality of boxing in Sri Lanka to be in international limelight.

His able and committed leadership ensured Anurudda Rathnayake fighting at Beijing Olympics in 2008 and Manju Wanniaarachchi winning a gold Medal at Commonwealth Games -2010. In the hands of visionary leaders in the calibre of Deshamanya Mahesh Amalian and Dian Gomes, a deliberate misconduct is never thought of by their subordinates and they both trust 100% on Manju’s innocence and genuinely against all odds. Mahesh and Dian along with all employees of MAS Holdings back Manju alongside in this hour of need to clear his name. I am also proud to be a team member of MAS Holdings as Mahesh and Dian recognize Manju as a MAS employee notwithstanding the consequences of the pending inquiry. Manju also has the blessings of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, the President of Sri Lanka, C.B. Rathnayake, the Minister of Sports and Hemasiri Fernando, the President of National Olympic Committee.

They all, together, will do their best to protect Manju and the good name of our Nation. Murali’s and Susanthika’s issues of critical nature in the past were successfully countered at international level by working out in team sprit as a nation. Therefore I earnestly request all sport loving Sri Lankans to get in to Manju’s shoes and sympathise with him. Our trust on him, at this crucial juncture, is worth million dollars to overcome this administrative challenge. The confidence and support you all extend will carry a long way for our authorities to fight and retain Manju’s Gold Medal for Sri Lanka.