Wiping away terrorism helps Lanka to concentrate on SA Games

by Leslie FERNANDO

Hemasiri Fernando - the energetic President NOC.	Deepika Chanmugam - the golden girl with seven golds in swimming.

SA GAMES: Sri Lanka with 23 sports associations is gearing up for the 11th South Asian Games. Bangladesh who was bestowed with the honour of hosting it at the end of the 10th edition in Sri Lanka in 2006, is ready to host it. The 11th SAG scheduled to be held from January 29 to February 8, 2010 at the National Stadium in Dhaka will be an epoch-making one, especially for the Sri Lankans.

"The 11th SAG will be one that will foster peace and regional co-operation", said Hemasiri Fernando, President National Olympic Committee. The 11th SAG gives us a chance to look back 25 years of history. Fernando said that the 11th South Asian Games can be identified as the games that are held after Sri Lanka and other countries in the region were freed from clutches of terrorism. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's commendable efforts to put an end to the menace of terrorism after 30 years can be identified as a great service to sports. In the past 25 years, the countries in the region, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have come together in sports.

It is significant to note that the Dhaka Games will feature twenty three sporting events, the highest number of events ever to be held in SA Games history. It has three more events than the 20 sporting events worked off at the 10th South Asian Games held in Colombo in 2006. Thus, Bangladesh would be greatly honoured and will be the centre of attraction during the games. The local NOC Chief said that he was certain that Asian Olympic Committee and Bangladesh Olympic Committee Chairman, Abdul Mubeen and his Organising Committee would make the games a memorable one.

5th Colombo Games 1991

Sri Lanka's greatest ever performance came when they hosted the 5th SAF Games from December 22 to 31, 1991. Though finishing second to India's 64 gold medals, Sri Lanka made their presence felt with a rich haul of 44 gold medals, 34 silver and 40 bronze medals.

Contributing greatly towards Sri Lanka's success were athletes who won 15 gold medals. Sriyantha Dissanayake, fresh after his two medals at 1990 Beijing Asian Games, went on to complete a sprint double with two dream runs - 10.77 seconds in men's 100 metres and 21.34 seconds in 200 metres. Veteran long distance runner K.A. Karunaratne won the men's 10,000 metres and marathon gold for Sri Lanka. But none of the Lankans or Indians could challenge Pakistan's Ghulam Abbas who retained his hurdles titles.

Sri Lanka's female athletes made a great contribution towards the host nation's success. While Damayanthi Darsha won the women's 100 metres in 11.93 seconds, middle distance runner Sriyani Dhammika Menike completed a 'double' by winning the women's 800 metres and 1,500 metres titles. There was another golden double for Sri Lanka from Sriyani Kulawansa in the women's 100 metes hurdles and high jump. For the first time ever in the SAG Games history Sri Lanka won boxing gold medal through P. Nugegoda (48 kg lihgt fly), Asoka Kulatunga (51 kg fly), and R.K. Sumith (60 kg light weight).

Deepika Chanmugam

Deepika Chanmugam was Sri Lanka's golden girl with a rich record haul of seven swimming gold medals in 200 metres freestyle 2m 20.0 seconds, 200 metres back 1m 11.0 secs, 200 metres back 2m 32.0 secs, 100 metres breast 1m 19.0 secs, 200 metres breast 2m 52.0 secs, 200 metres individual medley 2m 35.0 secs and 400 metres medley 5m 28.0 secs.

Indian Bala Choudhry won four golds. Ace swimmer Julian Bolling gave his best present for the host nation with five gold medals in 200 metres frestyle 2m 0.0 secs, 400 metres freestyle 4m 16.0 secs, 1,500 metres 17m 12.0 secs, 200 metres butterfly 2m 11.0 secs. and 400 metres individual medley 4m 51.0 secs. But India's Sebastian Zavier was the fastest swimmer winning 50 metres and 100 metres freestyle events in addition to 200 metres medley in which Julian Bolling was second.

Football - no medals for Lanka

But Sri Lanka's soccer dreams were shattered without a medal. Pakistan beat Maldives in the soccer final while Bangladesh settled for the bronze. In team sports India won gold medals in basketball and volleyball (men), but Sri Lanka won women's volleyball gold. India also won six of the seven table tennis gold medals at the Colombo Games.

In tennis, Sri Lanka had another memorable title with Umesh Walloopillai and Lihini Weerasuriya winning men's and women's singles gold medals respectively. Partnered by Vajira Premaratne, Weerasuriya also bagged the women's doubles title.

Contrywise medal summary:

India on top for the fifth successive games - 64 gold, 59 silver, 41 bronze total 164 medals (first), Sri Lanka in second position - 44 gold, 34 silver, 40 bronze (118 medals), Pakistan - 28 gold, 32 silver, 25 bronze (118), third, Bangladesh - 4 gold, 8 silver, 28 bronze (85), fourth Nepal - 2 gold, 8 silver, 29 bronze (39), fifth - Maldives won its second medal from 1984 winning a silver - 1, sixth and Bhutan failed to win a single medal.

(More on other games next week.)