Sports loving and promoting President

It was exactly four years ago that President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office as the fifth Executive President of Sri Lanka. That not only turned a new era in Sri Lanka's battle against terrorism and development activities but also in the field of sport.

The influence and guidance of the President was immense to promote sports at various levels. Sri Lanka lived up to expectations as a great sporting nation in the Asian region while making vast strides in the international scene, both here and overseas in almost every game.

The sports-loving President has done immeasurable service to Sri Lanka sports and its promotion. There have been many landmark achievements in the sports arena during the first four years of his six-year term as the President. Despite his busy schedule, President Rajapaksa has always made it a point to witness some of the key sports events to inspire our sportsmen and women.

That includes two medals at world level in athletics and bodybuilding and many other medals at international level. President Rajapaksa has a passion for sport from his early days as a schoolboy and later became a great sports promoter after he became a Minister.

He had been a versatile athlete during his day and later played a key role as a President of the national bodies for athletics and elle. As the President of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka (AASL) in 1997, the President played a key role to have star woman sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe exonerated of doping charges on medical evidence.

He has been a keen cricket fan and it is due to his untiring efforts that the 2011 World Cup cricket will be coming to Hambantota with a new international stadium. When star batsman Sanath Jayasuriya's international career was in danger due to poor selection committee decisions in 2005, it was President Rajapaksa who intervened and justice for the former Sri Lanka captain.

That resurrected Jayasuriya's international career and he immediately proved President's decision right when he was recalled to join the Sri Lanka team for the World Series in Australia with a sparkling century. Ever since, Jayasuriya has been going great guns, contributing lavishly with his willow.

If not for the President, the then selectors would have prematurely retired Jayasuriya.

These are two of the key instances. Apart from those, the sports-minded President has always been a tower of strength to the country's sportsmen and women, lending a helping hand for them to sharpen their skills.

The President's family too has a passion for sport. The First Lady, Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa had served as a President of the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka early this decade. She made an immense contribution towards the promotion of netball in which Sri Lanka are the reigning Asian champions.

Their three sons - Namal, Yoshitha and Rohitha, excelled in rugby football.

All three went on to lead S.Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia. The eldest of the three, Namal - the founder President of Tharunyata Hetak Youth Movement, went on to captain Sri Lanka Under-19 team with distinction while his younger brothers too represented Sri Lanka Youth team with distinction.

When taking a stock of landmark sporting achievements during the tenure of President Rajapaksa, Susanthika Jayasinghe's 'athletic bronze' and Prasanna Peiris' 'bodybuilding silver' at World level opened a new chapter in Sri Lanka sport.

Incidentally, it was when President Rajapaksa was heading the local athletic governing body in 1997 that Jayasinghe won Sri Lanka's first IAAF World Championship medal in Athens. Ten years later when President Rajapaksa became the Head of State, Jayasinghe won her second medal - a bronze at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan in 2007.

It is even greater, considering the fact that Jayasinghe is the only medal winner so far for Sri Lanka and the first Asian medalist in the history of the IAAF World Championship.

I could still remember how the President came on my mobile to congratulate Jayasinghe when the sprint queen was just walking off the track. That shows the concern the President has for our sportsmen and women.

Earlier this month, Prasanna Peiris rewrote Sri Lanka's bodybuilding history with the country's first ever medal at the World Championship. He bagged a silver medal in 65kg weight category at the 63rd World Bodybuilding Championships.

Sri Lanka cricket team has been going from strength to strength, winning the Asia Cup and several other tournaments and cricket series during the past four years. Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup beating a star-studded Indian batting line up at the National Stadium in Karachi. Sri Lanka also stamped their class in the longer version of the game by reaching the number two position in the ICC Rankings for the first time since gaining Test status.

Local soccer has got a big boost during the last few years with the construction of a series of fully-fledged stadia in Kalutara, Colombo, Mannar and Ampara with the blessings of the FIFA, AFC and Basel FC from Switzerland. A happy President recently graced the opening ceremony of the Vernon U. Fernando Sports Complex in Kalutara, showing his commitment to promote the poor man's sport.

Our woman boxers had their own share with Nilmini Jayasinghe winning a gold medal at the World championships in Petersburg, Russia. Her team mate Anusha Kodituwakku bagged a bronze medal at the Women's Indoor Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sri Lanka also won two silver medals and a bronze at the Commonwealth Games weightlifting championships staged in Malaysia.

Days before the President's fourth anniversary, Sri Lanka athletics achieved another rare feat when high jumper Manjula Kumara Wijesekera bagged a gold medal at the Asian Championships in China last week.