Sri Lanka should concentrate on SAF Games, says Hemasiri

Ranjan Anandappa

The President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) Sri Lanka, Hemasiri Fernando said that Sri Lanka has many more things and hard work to do prior to thinking of Olympics as athletics in the country has gone on the reverse gear, and remedies should be found for the decline.

"We only talk about development, but there are no remedies found for the decline, our Olympics should be the SAF Games. In the first SAF Games held in Sri Lanka the country won over 100 medals. But thereafter the progress has been very slow. If we are to think of participating at the Olympic we should first win at least 50 medals at the SAF level," said Hemasiri Fernando.

"If we are to develop or reach the required standards the Department of Sports Development and the Department of Education should go hand in hand. This has not happend in the annals of sports in the country. It is the school that provides the base for any sport, we do not have qualified coaches and many sponsors," said the NOC chief.

Mohomad Hamza, Senior Vice President -Commercial Nestle Lanka Limited said that the company had a history over twenty years of involvement in sports. It has provided the platform for many budding sportsmen and sportswomen to reach International standards. Even the Ministry of Education has recognised the service rendered by Nestle's.

The NOC President was the chief guest along with Mohamad Hamza, Senior Vice President Commercial at the All Island Annual Inter-School Milo Colours award ceremony organied by the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council and sponsored by Nestle Lanka Ltd.

Shehan Ambepitiya (Boys) of Gateway International School, Rajagiriya and Mineka Karunaratne (Girls) of Asian International School Colombo won the award for the Most Outstnading performance for the year 2007.

384 girls and boys from 13 schools were awarded colours in recognition of their fine efforts in several sports which comes under the purview of the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council at the BMICH last Tuesday.

Heshan Unamboowe of Trinity and Miniruvini Samarakoon of Gateway International School, Kandy won the awards for the up and coming sports personalities for swimming.