Mayuri never hurt anyone - ex Lanka captain
by Tyrell Peiris
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Mayuri Madushika |
A pall of gloom still hangs over Debarawewa, Polonnaruwa, the
hometown of Mayuri Madushika who died in a violent motor accident on
October 2 as volleyball players and officials still mourn the death of a
key player who had represented Sri Lanka upto 2008. Words, they say are
not enough to describe what a loved and respected and skilful player
Mayuri Madushika was.
Current skipper of the national volleyball team Chandima Damayanthi
says that she had known Mayuri for the past two months when she was a
member of the 15-member national volleyball pool., and had found her to
be very united with her colleagues and inspiring.
“Mayuri was the key player for the Ceylon Government Railway (CGR)
where she was employed and as well as for the Southern Province
volleyball team. In fact, one of her crowning moments this year was when
Mayuri sparkled for CGR against the Port Authority team which I
represented to win the women’s championship,” said the current national
captain who went on to recall that fateful day that death snatched
Mayuri from them.
“She had played marvellously that day to beat the Central Province
team at the 35th National Sports Festival. But all that joy was
short-lived.
Five hours later Mayuri breathed her last when a van driven on the
wrong side plunged into the trishaw she was travelling killing her on
the spot. Two of her teammates Geethika Gunawardena and Sagarika
Gunasinghe, who were injured were admitted to the Polonnaruwa Base
Hospital,” reminisced Chandima who added that Mayuri’s loss has left a
big void.
Geethika has since been discharged. But Sagarika is still under
treatment in the Accident Service of the Colombo National Hospital.
There is a question about her spinal cord as whether there has been a
dislocation. Her left arm is bad and she is under a neck collar and
barely whispers.
“Mayuri was a key player for the Southern Province too because there
were very few top players in the team except for two or three national
players. THis year she was adjudged the ‘Best Blocker’ at the
nationals,” said Chandima Damayanthi.
Speaking to Chandima Akarawita, the former national captain was
touching. For Akarawita was the player who had been most associated with
Mayuri during her career.
“It is very sad. I still can’t believe that such a thing could have
befallen someone like Mayuri who never hurt anyone. She was a top player
and had represented the Sri Lanka team since 2006, but sadly she lost
her place after 2008. That saddened Mayuri who told me very recently
that she was upset that she did not find recognition to make it to the
national team for the Asian Games in Vietnam,” said Akarawita.
She said that as a player she was very devoted and had given the
maximum when she took to the volleyball court.
Akarawita said that Mayuri had opted with her two other colleagues to
stay with a friend in Debarawewa instead of the accommodation provided
in schools for the tournament players.
Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge had slammed the authorities for not
providing proper accommodation for the players that had led to Mayuri
opting to stay with a friend.
A volleyball official, Susil Ranasinghe, the Secretary of the
Volleyball Federation of Sri Lanka when contacted described Mayuri as a
key player. She had made to the national team in 2006 and had been a
pivotal player as a ‘quick attacker’ of the side. “It is a setback for
the Sri Lanka national volleyball team having to lose Mayuri Madushika
in the prime of her youth at 21 years. It will be difficult to fill the
void created by her death in an area where such positions in women’s
volleyball find very few high quality players,” said Ranasinghe.
He said that the funeral expenses had been met by the CGR and the
Volleyball Federation had donated Rs. 30,000 towards the ‘alms giving’.
The VB Secretary said that in recognition of the yeoman services
rendered by Mayuri to Sri Lanka volleyball the Federation would not
hesitate to assist Mayuri’s bereaved family.Ranasinghe recalled that
Mayuri was first spotted by national coach Jayatissa as a potential
player for the future at a local training program.
That saw her make to the national pool in 2006 and she represented
Sri Lanka at the 13th Asian Volleyball Championship in Vietnam that
year, at the 14th Senior Asian Volleyball Championships in Thailand,
National Invitation Tour in 2007 and a tour of Singapore the same year.
In 2007 and 2008 she represented the CGR team at the Thailand Princess
Cup. |
