Volleyball pools in training for South Asian Games

by Leslie Fernando

Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation authorities are finding it a difficult task keeping the players at training camps in preparation for 2006 South Asian Games to be held in Colombo in April next year.

Susil Ranasinghe, the Secretary, Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation said that only Rs. 200 per player is received from the Sports Ministry as daily food allowance. But in addition to the food allowance, the finance for training facilities and accommodation has to be found by Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation.

Presently the men's pool is accommodated at a hostel close to the Sugathadasa Stadium while the women's pool is at National Youth Services Council, Maharagama.

For men's pool training at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, the Federation has to pay Rs. 2,000 per hour. The men's pool trains in the morning session for 3 hours for five days while 6 hours for 2 days.

The Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation has to incur a sum of Rs. 48,300 for men's training for a week. The women's pool training at the National Youth Services Council at Maharagama. For a day the Federation has to spend Rs. 14,000 for the training pool. The women 'spikers' train for 3 hours on 3 days and six hours on 2 days.

Ranasinghe further added that both pools have been at training from May this year. The 'pool's began residential coaching camps from August. But it is insufficient for a player to have a proper meals for a day for Rs. 200.

The Federation has made an appeal to the Ministry of Sports, stating that it is not an easy task to maintain both these 'pools' in the future appeals to the Ministry to come forward to get the Federation some relief in providing the necessary finances for the use of both Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium and National Youth Services Council Indoor Stadium at Maharagama.