Rich rewards for top athletes

by A.C. de Silva

ATHLETICS: Sri Lankan athletes winning medals at the 15th Asian Athletic Championships from June 9 to 12 at the Sugathadasa Stadium, will be richly rewarded with cash from the Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

A Gold Medal winner will receive Rs. 5 lakhs, a Silver Medal winner will get Rs. 3 lakhs and a Bronze Medal winner will get Rs. 1 1/2 lakhs. This has been decided by Minister of Sports.

Then at the Junior Athletic Meet there will be 40 events and Sri Lanka as host country will have seven attempts among the women and men ten attempts. There will be 111 athletes. The athletes that win will be rewarded as mentioned earlier and their coaches too will be rewarded with twenty five percent of the takings of the athletes.

For the future of athletics in this country and in order to encourage the Sri Lankan athletes, the Lankans have got the opportunity of putting forward three athletes for each event and this will no doubt bring about a reawakening in the sport in this country.

In order to take athletics forward and prepare Sri Lanka for international competition, the Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that all athletes, coaches and those who are in charge of administration should join hands so that Sri Lanka will be able to make their presence felt in international competitions.

Around 400 athletes and those interested in the sport attended the workshop convened by Minister Aluthgamage who stressed the need for all to get together and that includes the press too to join hands and take the sports forward.

All theoe who are interested in getting complimentary tickets for the Asian Athletic Championships should contact the office at the Sugathadasa Stadium or the Sports Ministry office at Torrington Square. No spectators will be allowed to the grounds without a ticket.