How imprudent to omit girls 4x100m relay team from Asian Juniors

By www.ceylonathletics.com | May 18, 2018 | AJAC, English, Latest News

The decision taken by Athletic Association of Sri Lanka (AASL) to omit South Asian Gold medal winning Sri Lanka junior girls’ 4x100m relay team from the Asian Junior Athletic championship has raised several questions into the selections process once again, especially with the junior sprinters clocking even faster times during the recently concluded National selection trials.

As revealed by Ceylon athletics earlier Wednesday (9 May), AASL had decided to omit the girls’ 4x100m relay team despite their record breaking performance at the South Asian Junior Athletic Championship (SAJAC). They have not changed their stance even after two of the junior girls clocked new personal best times at last week’s senior trials.

Up to that time entries were not closed, which enabled AASL to add steeple chase runner Wasanthi Marisstella’s name to the Asian Junior Championship squad based on her performance at the senior trials, even though the junior girls relay team was once again overlooked.

The girls’ 4x100m relay quartet comprising of Amasha de Silva (PB 11.92 sec), Sharmila Jan (PB- 12.17), Shelinda Jansen (PB 12.30) and Safiya Yamic (PB 12.33 sec), clocked 46.23 seconds to win the Gold medal in a thriller from the strong Indian team at the SAJAC. They also shattered the meet record, as well as the Sri Lanka Junior record of 46.28 seconds set 24 years ago in 1994 by a team which included Damayanthi Dharsha and Susanthika Jayasinghe, proving they are the best junior 100m relay team SL has ever produced.

When analyzing the last seven Asian Junior Athletic Championships, this team is in the medal range for four of them, while being in the Gold medal range of the 2012 edition. Also, with the fastest 100m runner Amasha de Silva already included in the 4x400m relay team, only four more athletes were needed to make up the 4x100m relay team.

Following the news of their omission, second fastest runner of the team, Sharmila Jan from Gateway International School Colombo, clocked another personal best st of 12.17 seconds in the senior trials on 12 May. To top that, sprinter Evanthi Emeshika from Matara, who missed out from SAJAC, came back strongly to clock 12.22 in the heats and personal best 12.20 seconds in the finals at last weekend’s National trials, elevating her to third fastest female runner in the country in the under-20 category. The team clocked 46.23 seconds despite clumsy baton changes and if this aspect is perfected a possible medal is within reach of the young girls as they have achieved faster times since then.

Sri Lanka also has their four fastest junior female sprinters within top 20 of the Asian Junior top list with Amasha de silva (2nd),Sharmila Jan (11th) , Ewanthi Emeshika (14th) and Shelinda Jansen (19th) .Out of all the other Asian countries only China and India has four or more sprinters within that top 20 list.

Yet AASL is unbending and unwilling to reconsider their decision even after the girls’ performance in the trials, which once again has raised many eyebrows as to the real reason behind their omission.

4x100m relay podium timing at last 8 edition of Asian Junior Championship

2016	Thailand	45.23	China	45.41	Hong Kong	45.84

2014	China	45.34	Thailand	45.89	Chinese Taipei	45.94

2012	Thailand	46.87	Indonesia	47.24	Chinese Taipei	47.32

2010	India	45.82	China	45.87	Chinese Taipei	45.90

2008	Thailand	45.95	China	45.98	Chinese Taipei	47.05

2006	Thailand	40.30	Oman	40.56	Chinese Taipei	40.67

2004	Japan	46.01	Thailand	46.36	China	46.55

2002	China	45.53	Thailand	45.61	Japan	46.35

AASL justification

The official reason given by AASL is that since their performance at the SAJAC (46.23) is not within the medal range of last year’s Asian Junior athletic championship they aren’t considering sending the relay team for the Asian Junior Athletic championship. But with two of the girls improving on their timing at the senior trials, it’s unclear how AASL decided that the performance at the SAJAC (46.23 seconds) is not the best. The team can do better, especially if the four girls focus on getting their baton change perfected, to ensure the Gold medal in the championship, as they could not change the baton properly during a previous practice session ahead of the championship. Also, Bronze medal winning performance (45.84 seconds) is just 0.39 seconds away from SL girls’ leggy performance at the SAJAC (46.24seconds) and it’s unclear how AASL decided that the SL team cannot cut down that time with faster runners and improving on their baton change.

Real Reason

According to the circular sent by the Japanese Athletic Association, participating countries have to pay US$ 200 per person per day when a country exceeds the quota given by the organizers and decides to send more athletes for the championship. The quota given for the Sri Lanka team is six but with 12 athletes and officials SL’s quota has already exceeded by 10 and inclusion of four more girls means the cost will increase further, which Ceylon Today learns is the real reason behind the omission of the girls’ team, though AASL is unwilling to reveal the fact in public. Also General public , Gateway International School and other private companies had already come forward to sponsor for the team if AASL willing to send them for the championship .

Hiding behind minister’s comment

AASL also uses the comment made by Sports Minister Faiszer Musthapha, who has openly asked the AASL to send only athletes who are definite medal prospects for international championship from now on. But with Musthapha already accepting the fact that he knows nothing about sports and had not done any sports, it’s safe to question such instructions, as it won’t be practical to implement.

Even the great Usain Bolt, who is widely regarded as the greatest track and field athlete of all time, was not within a medal range when he competed in his first Olympics and was out from the semi-finals (2004 Athens Olympics). He has openly stated several times that the experience he gained at that Olympics and the hurt he felt with that loss motivated him to continue athletics and he went on to be the person he became later on.

Lack of female participation in SL

The reason to omit the girls relay team has also resulted in overall discouragement for female athletes to continue in athletics. Sri Lanka is already suffering from lack of participation by female athletes in the National Athletics arena.

For example, there were only two athletes competing in the 800m at the last national trials for Asian Games, two athletes in the 1500m, only one in the 5000m again only one in the 1000m, two in the 100m hurdles, three in the 400m hurdles, two in the high jump, two in the pole vault, three in the long jump, three in the javelin throw, no athletes in the 200m and so on.

It’s a commonly known fact that the only driving motivation for SL athletes is their love towards athletics and thirst to win, even though they are namesake professional athletes. Almost all senior athletes are employed in the tri forces, while no other company – except for a very few such as MAS holdings and Hela Clothing – have given them jobs to continue in sports. So, most of the talented athletes tend to look for other ways to achieve success in their lives rather than continue in sports and the number of female athletes leaving the sport is higher than boys after leaving school.

This kind of incident of omitting them from participating in international events after doing all the hard work and winning medals for the country is the prime reason for discouragement from athletics at a young age, especially when these girls are on verge of leaving school and deciding whether to continue with athletics or focus on higher education or something else.

With the AASL doing absolutely nothing to increase the participation of athletes, the little they can do is to provide the girls with what they deserve. It will not cost a cent extra as it is the Sports Ministry who is taking care of the funding during international events.

The Asian Junior Athletics championship will be held from June 6 to 9 at Gifu Japan.