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| Sunday, 20 June 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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All's not well with Susanthika The Arena with Srian Obeyesekere A Greek dream it is as Sri Lanka conjures visions of another Olympic medal, in the very land where the Games were born - ancient Greece. Athens 2004. with just over a month to go when the next Olympics is staged this August, the count down has already begun.
Her's is a story written in a journey that culminates in the metropolis. A saga of 'rags to riches' which reached its zenith when the lass from Warakapola blazed the track at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. The bronze medal was the sweet reward of that toil. But as Athens 2004 rounds the corner, is Susanthika, considered the local darling of the track for her medal potential at that level, ready to do it again ? Sadly, not so, going by the champion athlete's own words recently when she went on record stating that all was not well with her. Athlete Of course, being track hardy was Susanthika's main concern as she vexed about the vagaries current day athletes face. And it was having her limbs at their very best around which the merits and demerits of track success revolves surfaced full circle in her tale of woe. For one, Susanthika lamented that keeping fit was the name of the game in a field where a nation's hopes run high, where demands do not fall short of medal glitter. But it was only she, as the athlete, who felt the toll of the track in the wear and tear of every passing day of competition. And in that concern of staying medal fit Susanthika dwelt on the all important aspect of having the services of a physiotherapist, she did not have right along. Indeed, staying fit is the catch phrase in the highly competitive world of modern day athletics. Sri Lanka, as we all know, is not as fortunate as the super rich countries where high tech is what athletics is all about today. But then, not to prepare the country's sole national treasure with medal winning ability at that level in terms of meeting such basic requirements must certainly reflect badly on our athletics as a whole. The lass who went on to transcend that latent talent on to the bigger stage internationally, outdistancing some of the big names in the field from the Asian to the European circuit. For the country's champion athlete, who is only the second after Duncan White, to have brought home an Olympic medal after a vacuum as long as over a half a century, to hark that she lacks in facilities for the next Olympics is indeed a bad reflection on the entire gamut. And there was Susanthika hoping that everything would turn out right from the hopelessness that she was in. Team Reflectively, our darling of the track, saying that everything is not as rosy as one would expect, is indeed an eye opener as to the need for the administrative juggernaut at that level to get rolling in the right direction. Strikingly, the question that looms is why great attention has not been paid by the authorities to have the services of a permanent physio like in the case of the country's national cricket team. Interestingly, we have a cricket administration which attaches the highest importance to fitness for the cricketers where even at a price the services of a foreign physio has been solicited for the last 9 years. It is on the fitness of the cricketers that the nation's mounting success come. So much so that sans Australian physio Alex Kontouri, who served from 1995 to 2003, there was no success formula. And after Kontouri, the cricket authorities have continued in the same vein hiring the services of another Aussie. So much for our athletics if due regard is not attached to such a need where needless to say technology more than in cricket goes hand in hand in keeping athletes trim. Still worse is the fact that everything has not been okay within the country's athletics set up. One hears of much friction, not the least when it comes to team selections. The recent stalemate at the 9th South Asian Federation Games in Islamabad, Pakistan where deserving talent was shut out is a reflection of that side of the coin. The athlete in question to be left out was Dissanayaka. The latent talent that came from the village from Nikaweratiya, life was overlooked for a lesser suited athlete for the 4x100 metres relay, despite having the best timing. The whole issue led to a heated controversy with inquiries being instituted subsequently. Favouritism The big question is, if such friction affects an Asian meet, are things going to be the same when it comes to the Olympics. This type of friction during tours certainly, by any stretch of imagination is not the best thing that can happen to our athletics. Time in and time out such related issues of displeasure have been a sour taste. Even during the last Sydney Olympics we did hear of such instances. If our athletics is to go a step further, it is hoped favouritism will take a back seat and the needs of the country's star athlete are met in keeping high her hopes and the hopes of a nation as another Olympics comes round the corner. After all, Susanthika, the local Louisville lip after the legendary Muhammed Ali, for matching her feats with her gab, is the very essence of the village. The lass who as a 11-year old burned the track bare footed for want of riches, from where she dazzled her way to national recognition, both in the 100 metres and 200 metres. Since, she has given up the 100 metres reverting to her pet field the 200 in which she struck silver at Sydney. Will it be a Greek dream come true at Athens for Susanthika, the home of athletics where history dates back to the first Olympic torch was lit and the Games were born? ######## Ana's new vision The Arena with Srian Obeyesekere The man who gave Sri Lankan cricket the 'kiss of life' says he has gone back to his first love, 'golf' and he is over the moon about it. He looks a bit jaded about his halycon Coca Cola days when he headed the Cricket Board, while he sips coffee. "In fact golf was my first love. Cricket by accident," he reflects. It is Tuesday, June 1, the time just past 11 a.m. The location, Royal Colombo Golf Club, (RCGC) - overlooking the magnificent golf course. For a man who ceased to administer the country's cricket some years back, Ana Punchihewa is certainly bubbling with a new enthusiasm. Like in cricket, he has a new vision - to make Sri Lanka the 'Sharjah of Golf'. "I want to produce world class golfers and make Sri Lanka a world class golfing destination, reveals Ana who has got stuck with the Golf Union as its consultant. To implement this, he says he has a five-year plan of work, but its success would revolve around the intended, changing of what is an outdated forty-year-old constitution. "We are in the process of finalising both," goes on Ana. This envisaged oiling the administrative machinery, taking golf to the schools, and getting golf instructors to come, and do golf courses, with the help of the Tourist Board and BOI. "In fact, I have sought the assistance of Arjuna Ranatunga, the Deputy Minister of Tourism in regard to involving foreign participation. His response has been favourable". Going down memory lane is a classic tale from the course. Interestingly, Punchihewa wore the Sri Lanka jersey in golf in the late 1980's. His passion for the sport at age eight started at the Havelock Colombo Golf Club (HCGC). "It was in the early 1960's and the HCGC was then situated where the BMICH is now. Only Sinhalese played golf. The RCGC was the exclusive preserve of the 'suddhas'," he reflects. At age fourteen, the call for studies took him to England to the Millfield Public School in Somerset. "Millfield was such a result oriented school for sports as much as for studies," went on Ana down memory lane. "My contemporaries were David Graveny, current England cricket Chairman of Selectors. There were also names like current England rugby star Simon Jones, Welshmen full back Gareth Edwards and J. P. R. Williams," said Ana who played cricket and hockey for the second elevens. Back in Sri Lanka at 25 it was that saw Ana turning out for Sri Lanka. "That time only members could play for the country," he recalls. But he is quick to pride himself with having one of the first to advocate for caddies. "I was able to finally persuade the authorities to allow people like Nandasena Perera to tec." What took you from golf to cricket ? "I gave up golf in 1991 more owing to family commitments. My wife told me. Enough is enough.' I had been spending half my life there. Then luckily cricket came along when the late Mr. Gamini Dissanayake, who headed the Cricket Board invited me to be his vice president, subsequently in 1995 I became the president of the Board." Did he have any regrets that he was virtually cold shouldered out of the Cricket Board after only one year during which he brought in the far reaching foreign expertise ? "I've no regrets," says Ana who hastens to add with a sense of pride, I had a wonderful year which anyone will find difficult to equal. "We won an overseas Test series for the first time beating New Zealand in 1995, we beat Pakistan for the first time in a test series away, we won in Sharjah at one-day level and rounded it off bringing home the World Cup." What made you opt for foreign expertise ? "Because I knew that a local coach could never be unbiased, because of too much of external politics. When I saw Dav's (Whatmore) resume I thought I cannot get anyone better. "He had in him the Australian scientific method and a Sri Lankan heart. Dav wanted Alex Kontouri in turn and I found we had got one of the best. "Today he is Australia's physio," said Punchihewa who though is disappointed that Sri Lanka lost the services of Kontouri. "Even when I was out of the cricket I used to tell both Upali Dharmadasa and Thilanga Sumathipala to keep Alex happy. He did much for the players in keeping their fitness levels on a high," lamented Ana. He goes a bit further as to that glory year when he took office at the Cricket Board. There was only Rs. 2 Million in the coffers. We need Rs. 4 million for the staging of the World Cup. For Dav's salary and allowances alone we needed 100,000 US$. "And who came to our rescue? It was the Aussies. Cricket Australia met the shortfall. They doubled our guarantee money during the 1995 tour there by 100,000 US$," quips Ana and with the same breath says, "The've (Australians) have always been generous, its just a public perception that they are bad. Only a few in Australia are bad." How confident is he of transforming our golf to new heights ? "My thing is in comparison with cricket. I want to make Sri Lanka the Sharjah of Golf in that sense. If Bukhathir could do it for Sharjah in cricket, I believe I can do it for Sri Lanka in golf." Ana's new vision goes further as he takes the Sharjah example. "Sharjah was not developed in cricket either. They virtually do not have a team even to speak of. But Bukhathir made it a cricketing destination," he vexes. Did he believe in his marketing experience with Coca Cola ? "Of course, yes. I derived from it in the cricket building. My marketing started in England. This world is all about marketing. You need to market yourself and your ideas." His dream envisages expanding from the current 3 to 10 golf courses. It would help life the country's image. In fact Ana finds a synonimity in golf and cricket. A belief strengthened by what he says a worldwide research by the Cricket Griffins University of Australia revealing from a test on under-thirteen cricketers of hand-eye co-ordination with similar attributes in the two sports. "In fact the survey also revealed that Sri Lanka came first in the world at that age level." Ana is a firm believer that more Sri Lankan cricketers should also play golf as a pastime. "Mahela Jayawardena has started as a member of the RCGC and play golf while on tour to take his mind off cricket. I understand that Kumar Sangakkara too is interested," rounded off Ana who is heading a five-member selection committee for golf appointed by the Sports Minister recently. A tall order indeed for the former cricket boss as he tees along a new course. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
And of course, it is around just one athlete that all Sri Lankan hopes
are woven. Susanthika Jayasinghe, that dark complexioned lass from the
village, who went, saw and captured.
