Waidyatilleka Asia's top ITO

by Leslie Fernando

Remember the official who disqualified the World Champion Athlete Jon Drummond of the United States in 100 metres at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, our own P. H. D. Waidyatilaka who officiated as the International Technical Official has brought honour to the country.

Waidyatilaka has topped the list in Asia at the recently held examination conducted by the IAAF to appoint the panel of International Technical Officials for the period of 2006-2009.

Waidyatilaka the only Sri Lankan to qualify as an IAAF Lecturer and an International Technical Official is a happy man and he said that his main aim is to continue to be in this position and do more work and become the best in ranking in the overall list of ITOs in the world.

He has come first in Asia in the examination held in 2001 in Singapore. He achieved success in 1997 also reaching the top position in Asia. Waidyatilaka came first in Asia in the IAAF Level Lecturers course held in Jakarta.

This time 21 candidates faced the written and oral examination which included the five sitting International Technical Officials. Only Waidyatilaka amongst the present set of ITOs and one more from the rest qualified from Asia.

He has officiated in international meets since 1991-Asian Championships (thrice), Commonwealth Games, World Athletic Championships, World Masters Athletic Championships (four times) Afro-Asian Games, IAAF World Youth Championships SEA Games. Waidyatilaka who had an illustrious career at Richmond College Galle and later at Nalanda College and University of Ceylon is a famed hurdler who has excelled at Public Schools and at the University and at the National Championships.

Waidyatilaka has conducted IAAF Level I Course in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1999 and conducted IAAF Lecturer's Course in RDC, Jakarta 2002. Last year October in Colombo he conducted IAAF Level I Course for senior technical officials and 13 out of 19 passed the examination after a five day course.

Waidyatilaka, Vice president Athletic Association of Sri Lanka and as Chairman Technical Committee has done a tremdous service for the uplift of the quality of Technical Officials in Sri Lanka stream lined the examination and grading system of Technical Officials in the year 2000 and has so far produced 1000 qualified officials. He also conducts IAAF Level I courses regularly.

Waidyatilaka holds several key positions in the field of athletics. In addition to being a vice president of the AASL since 1994 (except for terms) he is also the President of Sri Lanka Masters Athletics (Veterans) President Athletic Technical Officials Association of Sri Lanka, Member Technical Committee Asian Athletics Association, Chairman Technical Committee Asian Masters Athletics, Member Stadia Committee World Masters Athletics.

He is also the International Technical Official of World Masters Athletics and byession he is a Chartered Civil Engineer.