• Says federations are clueless on deadlines
• Notes OCA’s displeasure on Lankan sports
• Minister Gamage takes SLA to task

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) Chair Asanga Seneviratne, in a scathing attack on officials of certain domestic sports federations, said it has become embarrassing to sit on behalf of the country at top global sporting events anymore.

He charged that to be physically present at high-profile events such as Commonwealth Games and Asian Games on behalf of Sri Lanka has become a degrading experience, for want of local athletes in coveted meets such as 100m and 200m, with women athletes being virtually non-existent. 

“I honestly speak from the bottom of my heart,” he told a recent media conference. “It is humiliating to go and sit at events such as the Commonwealth Games or Asian Games representing our country any further. Our athletes are missing in 100m, 200m events and there are hardly any female athletes.”

According to Seneviratne, Sri Lanka not having any athletes competing in any major overseas track and field meets any longer is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by all concerned, or else the country could be left to become a mere footnote in sports history. 

He lambasted officials of sports federations over the failure of certain bodies to meet deadlines ahead of high-profile international sporting events.

Seneviratne-a former national rugby star revealed that due to the intervention of Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, 34 athletes had been included at the eleventh hour for the 20th Asian Games due to commence in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan shortly.

“None of these sports federations have a clue as to what deadlines are all about,” the NOCSL head responded to a question posed by the media during a press briefing convened at the Duncan White Auditorium of the Sports Ministry. This was to unveil the official attire of Sri Lanka for the upcoming Asian Games, on Wednesday (9).

“Most of the leaders of our sports federations simply don’t understand what deadlines are. They also have no idea that meets and trials have to be held early. Not when the deadlines are near. They only have such events now.”

Seneviratne who took the helm of the NOCSL last April at a contentious election, pointed out that on Tuesday (8) too, a set of names had been sent to the approval of the Sports Minister, with the predicament faced by the Mixed Relay team being cited as a clear example.

“This Mixed Relay team is in my view ranked fourth in Asia,” the ex-Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) President explained. 

“This is a team which had an excellent chance for a medal at the Asian Games. However, I feel very sad over the plight faced by these athletes. Both I myself and the Minister, have been talking about this issue since May, but to no avail.”

Seneviratne added that these were issues that cannot be resolved by his institution and blamed the federations for the underlying situation faced by athletes.

“If the federations do not send the names and if the Minister has to do the work of the federations having listened to protests, I just can’t fathom what type of system is prevalent here. It's beyond me as to how this could be resolved. And I hope the Minister will look into this earnestly.”

He also revealed that the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has already informed him not to talk to them anymore, with Sri Lanka having become detestable to them in their eyes over the state of sports in this country.

Meanwhile, Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage who too attended the media conference agreed with the sentiments expressed by the NOCSL head, and found fault with officials of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) over the pathetic state of the sport here.

He charged that SLA were guilty of mixing up both long lists and short lists of athletes ahead of key international sporting events, and asked as to how an athlete who has not been in the long list could be short listed overnight.

He said certain officials despite claiming to possess all types of sporting qualifications and experience were continuing to commit ‘stupid mistakes’, and said such actions result in bringing dire consequences not only to sportsmen and women, but ignominy to the nation as well.

“When these people commit idiotic blunders as a Ministry we have no answers, frankly speaking,” Gamage pointed out.

He said it has now reached the point that his Ministry will need to take punitive action against officials concerned, as the situation he argued could otherwise go unchecked.