Mayumi and Andrew Sri Lankan stars

The tenth edition of the South Asian Games are in full swing. Despite early predictions by the critics, there was a spectacular opening ceremony which was commended by everybody, including over 2,500 foreign guests and participating athletes.

Fourteen-year-old Mayumi Raheem won Sri Lanka’s first gold medal at the eight-nation Games and on the very next day 15-year-old Andrew Abeysinghe won men’s 200m back stroke gold with a new Games record. In fact, Raheem (3) and Abeysinghe (2) shared Sri Lanka’s five swimming golds. Raheem ended with ten medals - three gold, four silver and three bronze medals.

But more than the performance of our sportsmen and women, we thought of focusing on one ugly incident that marred the swimming competition.

Abeysinghe had one dream since last year. Despite residing in the United States, he came down here twice during last year to face local trials but the Games were then postponed. Though he has been shaping well back in Ohio with a tremendous record, his commitments as a student did not permit him to face the last trial meet this year.

Though they knew the true capabilities of the prodigy, the local swimming officials deliberately kept Abeysinghe out of the Sri Lanka team. In fact, the national selectors should have considered both Abeysinghe as well that Olympic swimmer Conrad Francis, who trains in Australia. What they should have done was to go though their recent performances in the US and Australia respectively.

Abeysinghe was at the receiving end, though he did not give up his dream of winning gold medals for Sri Lanka at the South Asian Games. He had nobody but his performance to present the case. When the ‘Daily News’ highlighted the injustice that had happened to Abeysinghe, it caught the attention of the highest authorities. It was then that the national selectors thought that Abeysinghe is good enough to be in the Sri Lanka swimming team.

In Sri Lanka, swimming is altogether a different sport. More than the competitors, it’s their parents, mostly mothers who ‘swim’ in most cases. They don’t care about the country but what their sole aim is to get places for their children in the national team at any cost. Of course there are a handful of respectable parents who do not interfere and let their children come on merit.

But often we have selfish and vicious parents, mostly mothers who do rounds to get undue advantage for their children. It’s whose mothers who did not like justice being meted out for young Abeysinghe. The reason? Because their children will be left out of the team because the Abeysinghe has a better track record.

These are the parents who were so cruel and selfish to turn hooligans at the swimming venue. When Abeysinghe was swimming for gold, they hooted at him and shouted ‘Come on America!’. The way these parents behaved in an utterly disgraceful way was a shame for the host nation.

First they went to the extreme of writing to officials in India and Pakistan, in a desperate attempt to stop Abeysinghe from competing. Then when their attempts were unsuccessful, they tried to mentally upset the little boy. What a shame!

But Abeysinghe slapped all those critics with a superlative display. His superb skills and superior techniques were far ahead of others. It was nice to watch Abeysinghe swimming and was an example to others. Young Abeysinghe believed in his skills. He let his performance to do the tanking and finally made the critics eat the humble pie with two gold medals.

Abeysinghe not only bagged two gold medals but also did that in style with two new Games records.

Together with Mayumi Raheem, Abeysinghe saved Sri Lanka swimming from disgrace.

When the mighty Indians were going all out, except for the two isolated spots by Abeysuiinghe and Raheem, we had to present the true picture. But a former Sri Lanka Olympic swimmer, who is now engaged in coaching, called us to teach the patriotic way of writing.

He asked us how we are going go predict that Sri Lanka would not win 12 gold medals or more like in 1991. He could well see the true picture now, just what we predicted. If not for Abeysinghe as axed by the selectors, Raheem’s performance would be the only bright spot for Sri Lanka.

Congratulations to all the gold medalists at the 10th South Asian Games!