The track and field segment of the National Sports Festival (NSF)—often dubbed Sri Lanka’s own mini-Olympics—kicked off tomorrow (29)at the Dadalla Sports Complex in Galle, once again on a grass track, sparking renewed criticism from athletes and stakeholders.
Competitors from nine provinces are participating in the NSF, which marks the season finale for many national-level athletes. However, the use of a grass track—rather than a synthetic one—has drawn widespread concern, with many arguing it undermines performance and increases injury risk.
Unlike other South Asian nations, which are equipped with multiple synthetic tracks, Sri Lanka continues to host its premier athletics event on outdated surfaces. Stakeholders have repeatedly voiced frustration, accusing authorities of prioritizing political optics over athlete welfare.
“Taking athletics to the village means first developing proper facilities there—not dragging a national championship onto a grass track. It’s a joke in international athletics,” said a top athlete, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The last NSF held on a grass track was in 2019 in Badulla, during the tenure of then Sports Minister Harin Fernando, who represented the district in Parliament. The event was suspended in 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the pandemic, before returning to Sugathadasa Stadium in 2023 and Diyagama in 2024—both equipped with synthetic tracks.
Ironically, this year’s decision comes at a time when Sri Lanka has, for the first time, an Olympian serving as Deputy Sports Minister, yet the ministry has opted to revert to grass-track competition.