Special Task Force to groom Lankan medal prospects

President ratifies 'Sports watch' suggestion:

Dinesh Weerawansa

It was a memorable evening for Sri Lanka's sportsmen and women who brought honour to the Motherland during the 10th South Asian Games in Colombo. All Lankan medallists were felicitated at a special ceremony held at Temple Trees under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa last evening.

The sports loving President, who headed the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka exactly ten years ago, made an emotional but eye opening speech, stressing the need to groom tomorrow's sporting heroes.

As exclusively suggested in our column 'Sports Watch' yesterday, President Rajapaksa said he will appoint a special task force to take charge of an intensive training program for prospective medal winners. The President stressed the need to overcome all obstacles and formulate a special program to groom our future sports stars.

He proposed a special Presidential task force to identify talented and prospective medal winners and groom them for the future. This, he said, would be an investment for the future.

As President Rajapaksa quite rightly pointed out, sports is a great leveller which could effectively be used to strengthen good relationships amongst people belonging to different nations and faiths. In Sri Lanka too, sports could make a greater contribution to usher peace to our country. We could develop greater relationship and understanding amongst different ethnic groups in Sri Lanka through sports activities.

"We need more Susanthikas, more Chintana Vidanages," a smiling President said, stressing the need for a long-term program to carefully groom our young talent for the future. At the same time, President also stressed that all petty individual differences should be overcome in in order to work towards a common goal.

As the President pointed out, we should not care about coach, school or club of a sportsman or a woman.

Talent and ability should be the only factors that should be considered when we identify talent.

Unfortunately, this has not been happening over the past few years and the Sports Ministry officials have failed to deliver the goods. As a result, the overall standard of our sports is at a low ebb.

We could not win a single gold medal at the last Asian Games in Doha, though we fielded a strong contingent of 280 members competing in as many as 24 disciplines. Though Sri Lanka has won a total of five gold medals at the previous two Asian Games in Bangkok 1998 and Busan 2002, we only managed a silver and two bronze at Doha 2006.

We could not be too happy with our performance at the 10th South Asian Games here. We secured only 37 gold medals after competing in all 20 disciplines. In contrast, Sri Lanka won a record 44 gold medals when we first hosted the Games way back in 1991. But we had just 10 disciplines then. But at Colombo SA Games, the host nation was placed third behind India and Pakistan.

That is why the President has stressed the need to have a constructive and long-term program to groom our future sporting heroes. As we suggested in yesterday's 'Sports watch' column under the headline 'Sporty thoughts for New Year', we could have a national super pool of around 50 members.

All medal prospects in different sports could be included in the super pool, which should be managed by a Special Task Force under the direct supervision of an independent panel, monitored by the Presidential Secretariat. True that President Rajapaksa has enough and more burning issues to attend, but one can not forget sports as it leads to build a healthy nation.

On the other hand, such a move would be an inspiration for the youth.

We can not depend on selfish and corrupt officials anymore. Over the years, they have talked much, but have not done anything worthwhile for the betterment of the game. Our poor and rural sportsmen and women have enough and more problems. Those would have a serious impact on their training programs. If we address their simple problems and keep their minds free, those talented sportsmen and women are capable of taking Sri Lanka sports to greater heights.

Having headed two national sports associations before, President Rajapaksa has first hand experience on the subject. He is well and truly aware of the burning issues of our rural sportsmen and women. At the same time, he believes in their natural talent and ability.

What is needed is a proper mechanism to groom them carefully with a vision.

That is why the President Rajapaksa rerceived an overwhelming and cheering response when he suggested to have a Special task Force to groom tomorrow's sports stars. If we pick the right people to function in that authority under the direct supervision of the Presidential Secretariat, we could well target another Olympic medal within the next six years. That would also lead for a better harvest at the 2010 Asian Games as well. We hope that would be a reality.