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| Sunday, 19 December 2004 |
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Underprivileged benefit from Sugathadasa Sports Foundation by Ranjan Anandappa The Sugathadasa Sports Development Project to identify latent talent and help underprivileged sportsmen and sportswomen was declared open at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium Auditorium yesterday. The Project is a concept of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Jeevan Kumaranatunga who was down to declare open the project, but was unable to do so owing to unavoidable circumstances. At the initial stages the project will be confined to the Western Province and will work on a mini programme mainly to develop six sports namely volleyball, netball, athletics, swimming, archery and basketball. For this purpose the Project Course Director, Yogananda Wijesundera has selected 36 knowledgeable trainers. Of these lot from various associations in the Western Province, 28 are athletic coaches. But the response for coaches of other sports has been disappointing and it seems disturbing news for the future. "If the Western Province which has produced the bulk of the champion sports personnel in the country can find only two swimming coaches, two netball coaches, and none for basketball, I cannot understand how many we could come across in other provinces," lamented Project Course Director Wijesundera. "In any country a stadium of international repute possesses a shopping complex which derives some sort of revenue which helps its progress. But here in Sri Lanka we have not got so far. We should create places like sports museums, medal centres, bookshops, restaurants etc. and things of interest that will give more commercial value to add strength to our sports stadiums," said Yogananda Wijesundera. "It's also important that a SAF Games Authority should be set up. We have the tendency of just washing our hands off when each event is over. For instance when one SAF Games is concluded we just forget about everything till the next meet. The need of the hour is consistency in preparation for the next event," he emphasised. Gamini Nethicumara, Chairman, Sugathadasa National Sports Complex said that since the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports took over, the ministry had made a close observationn and suggested that he do something worthwhile for the uplift of sports utilising the stadium facilities. He further said that he has come across talented sportsmen and women who are unable to continue their sports activities due to financial difficulties. "Assisting them is our prime objective. We are seeking for sponsors for this purpose," he added. |
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