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| Thursday, 06 January 2005 |
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Sports | |
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Whither South Asian Games? Last month's Tsunami tragedy not only killed over 30,000 people and displaced nearly a million in Sri Lanka but also brought sports activities to a complete standstill. Of course cancellation or postponement of sports events is negligible, compared to the devastation by the Boxing Day's tidal waves, which killed over 150,000 people across Asia. It is not only a challenging time for the Asian nations affected by the shocking Tsunami, but also all nations across the globe to give a helping hand to the unfortunate victims. It is going to be a huge task from the very first meal after the tragedy to help the victims overcome their mental agony and find proper shelter. Most experts are of the opinion that the greatest of all challenges after the Tsunami devastation is treatment for the mental and psychological shock of the millions of survivors, who experienced the bitterness of their loved ones being dragged to their deaths by merciless waves. This is an area where sports could play an active role, especially among the children and youth who have been displaced or affected. Sports could play a greater role as the nation is trying to get up on its feet after the tragedy. All those who are connected to sports could play a vital role in the nation building exercise. The big question asked in the sports circles now is whether Sri Lanka is going to host the 10th South Asian Games as scheduled in August. At the first glance, the answer to the question may look quite easy. The general public may think that it is not the right time for sports activities. But in real terms, there is lot more to think on this aspect. It is reasonable enough if one challenges the fact that Rs. 300 million to be pumped for the eight-nation Games by the Government could be utilised for the rehabilitation work in the affected areas. But will that alone help to raise the lost morale? In less than a fortnight after the tragedy, many countries, the UN and the IMF have come to the rescue of Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the two countries that had the biggest impact from the Tsunami. Hence, the direct finances, mainly grants and long-term low interest loans, could be effectively utilized for the redevelopment and rehabilitation work. Considering the grants those donor countries and organizations have promised, the foreign aid is more than sufficient to meet the finances of those aspects. Sri Lanka must not only think twice before taking a decision on the South Asian Games. True that the tragedy is the biggest natural disaster in our near 2,600-year-old proud history, but that does not mean life should come to a standstill. Life should go on, despite the ups and downs that come from time to time. More importantly, we should be determined in defeat as true sportsmen. With due respect and sympathies to those who were affected and lost their loved ones, we believe that it is the time for the sports loving public in Sri Lanka to prove their strength, determination and ability to face challenges in life. The Japanese were all at sea after the Hiroshima atomic bomb on August 6, 1945 during the World War Two but in less than two decades, they showed the power of sport by hosting the Olympic Games. American Olympic gold medallist Gail Devers battled a critical illness to get back to the track and even competed at the last Olympic Games in Athens. Likewise, there are enough and more instances in history where the sports have played a morale-boosting role for people to stand up strongly after dark periods. Hence, we must not rush to take a decision on the South Asian Games because we should not let the opportunity our nation has got to prove our determination and grit. It is an opportunity for all Sri Lankans to be united and prove our courage and fighting qualities to the world. Definitely, it is going to be a morale booster not only for sportsmen and women but for all citizens because an event of this magnitude is going to be the Olympic version for a third world country like ours. |
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