Agony of being an athlete in Sri Lanka

Six Sri Lanka records tumbled, Javelin Throw over 82m, running 400m below 46.5 seconds, Sri Lankan athletes have definitely stepped up their game this year, but the care towards them, facilities and recognition remain the same or have gone down further.

SL track and field athletes do not have much demand unlike other top sports in the country, where they get paid with fat annual contracts, medical facilities, top coaches, modern training facilities and enough venues to choose from. They mainly asked for one thing only: a proper synthetic track with facilities to train which will help them to win medals for Sri Lanka, but it seems they are asking too much as authorities have failed to provide that for several years now.

As usual athletes had to run on a worn-out Diyagama track. Even getting there by 6.00-7.00 a.m. for events is torture for them.Washrooms with water is a luxury at Diyagama, and the necessary medical facilities and first aid crew were nowhere to be seen in the competition area.

Following the record run of Gayanthika Abeyrathne and Nimali Liyanarachchi in the 800m yesterday, both of them were lying on the ground and Nimali could barely walk as a spike had pierced her lower calf area, which resulted in a blood flow from her leg and her coach had to carry her out of the track as there was no medical personnel and the first aid help crew was present in the finishing area.

Several similar incidents happened during the competition but medical assistance never came. There were medical staff present at the venue but they were in the other corner of the ground from the finishing line and in a room of the pavilion which was situated facing outside the main stadium, where they had no idea whether an athlete lay dying on the track or not.

A moment before her record run Gayanthika wanted to use the washroom but it was too far away from the starting point, so the only option she had was to go outside to the bushes assisted by her husband. That’s the sad plight one of the country’s top athlete had to go through moments before she clocked 02 minutes 02 .55 seconds to shatter the 800m record.

Over the months athletes have been complaining a lot about their issues, but all their complaints fell on deaf ears and it seems they now realize that they live in a country where authorities never work with a sense of what the athletes want to make the country proud in the international arena.

It’s been 20 months since the new Sports Minister took office, and the major problem in athletics – lack of proper synthetic track – still remains the same, and yet athletes have found a way to remain on top of their game with the Asian Championship looming up, but it won’t be for much long.