Sportsmen await new budget

The maiden budget of the newly elected President Mahinda Rajapakse is to be unveiled next week. It would be an important one for our sportsmen and women as well as several new programs are to be introduced under the Ministry of Sports.

In his election manifesto - the Mahinda Chinthana, President Rajapakse has pledged several benefits to sports. Hence, our sporting world would look forward to the budget with greater interest. It would be interesting to see the budgetary allocations to be made for the Sports Ministry.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka is due to host the 10th South Asian Games in Colombo next year. The Government will have to pump a massive Rs. 300 millions towards the eight-nation Games.

There was great enthusiasm and a revival in local sports when Sri Lanka hosted the 5th South Asian Games in 1991. That let us to host the Games successfully and also to fare well as a nation and win a record number of 44 gold medals. A similar approach is needed with a nationwide awareness program.

President Rajapakse plans to provide annual financial grants to the national sports associations (NSAs). He has also pledged to introduce a monthly financial grant of Rs. 25,000 each and reading material for national level sportsmen and women who bring international repute to Sri Lanka.

The most important aspect in the sports vision of the President is to give true recognition to sports by introducing a sports degree. Sport will be a major at a special degree program to be introduced at the University of Kelaniya. In support of this, a National Sports Academy too would be set up with qualified lecturers to do a professional job. This could be considered as a major step towards injecting professionalism to our sports.

Among the other plans of President Rajapakse is to introduce a special program to give a helping hand to country's emerging sportsmen and women from rural areas.

All these need huge finances and we hope President Rajapakse would present a budget favourable for our sports world too. Finances allocated to Sports and Youth affairs Ministry is always an investment for the future. Sports would build a healthy nation, thereby reducing other socio-economic commitments of the Government, including health sector. Sports would greatly contribute to build social harmony and also to reduce youth unrest.

Being a versatile sportsman during his day, an able sports administrator and a veteran politician with decades of experience, President Rajapakse knows all these. Hence, he is sure to extend support to our sportsmen and women. At the same time, President Rajapakse's able leadership is needed to make sure Sri Lanka hosts the most successful South Asian Games ever. As the Chairman of the Steering Committee, he is expected to play a key role in giving state patronage to the Games.

Several of our most popular sports are in a mess due to recent administrative blunders. Especially, a huge effort has to be made to resurrect our athletics and swimming due to faults of our power-greedy officials. It's our poor athletes and swimmers who have to suffer due to no fault of theirs.

We hope President Rajapakse, being a person so close to our athletes too, would direct Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga to implement a special program as these two sports would play a key role in Sri Lanka's participation at South Asian Games.

Despite critics and our rejection of Ministry appointed NSAs, the Interim Committee for Aquatic Sports is progressing reasonably well. With former Sri Lanka national coach Dervin Perera taking the top seat of Athletic Association of Sri Lanka yesterday, the gloomy period for our athletes should gradually fade away.

As a person who firmly believes on democracy and the power of people, President Rajapakse should instruct his subject Minister to do away, with the five existing interim committees.

We don't deny the fact that some of these interim committees are performing well. But the voting rights and wishes of the member clubs and associations that come under those NSAs are supreme. The rights of those clubs and associations to elect an Ex-co of their wish should not be deprived. Hence, its high time to get rid of those interim committees as the annual elections to other NSAs come before March 31 next year.

The Sports Ministry should play an active role in the promotion of the game. The Ministry should keep a close eye on the corrupt NSAs and their officials. There should be a central body to monitor the activities of the NSAs. If not, the National Sports Council should be given greater powers to act as a watchdog, and not be just a toothless tiger.