Handsome cash award for silver medalist Sudesh

Prince Gunasekara

The Governmant of Sri Lanka has planned to gift three million rupees for the solitary medal winner at the recently held Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scottland. His coach will also receive seven and a half lakhs.

Sudesh Peiris, who competed in the 62kg weight category lifted 273 kgs to bring his motherland the only silver medal.

The Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage also said that Sri Lanka athletes should be able to be ranked within the first six in the world to compete at international level. He said he will have to take a decision whether to distribute funds to associations, whose nominess have failed to win any medals at international events.

Since the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, the Sports Ministry has been providing all the assistance to national associations to produce medal winning athletes in addition to paying them a monthly allowance during their training period.

Although he expected three medals from weightlifters at the Glasgow Games, he was disapointed that only one competitor was able to win a medal.

He said Lanka could have won three medals in weightlifting if not for technical fault which affected the competitors and he said that he will make sure it won't happen in the future.

He said hereafter only competitors who have chance of winning medals will be sent for international meets.