SJs’ batting for President

‘SJs’ have been a household ‘brand’ in Sri Lanka sports one in cricket and the other in athletics. ‘SJ’ in Sri Lanka sport stands for two of the greatest sports starts that the country has ever produced.

We are referring to none other than veteran Sri Lanka cricketer and ex-captain Sanath Jayasuriya and Olympic Games silver medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe.

They don’t need much adjectives or superlatives introductions. They have been all-time greats in Sri Lanka sports with records that are hard to emulate.

Besides the identical letters which stand for their names, both Jayasuriya and Jayasinghe have common factors. Both of them have been truly village products that have blossomed in the Sri Lanka sports arena. Jayasuriya hails from the Southern city of Matara while a village known as Uduwaka in Warakapola is Jayasinghe’s native place.

They did not have rosy childhoods and have pursued their sporting careers under immense hardships. They were only blessed with natural talent but that was good enough for them to reach the pinnacle of Sri Lanka sport.

The vital ingredients of their successful recipe have been hard work, dedication and sacrifice. Despite their humble beginnings and less-affluent family backgrounds, they have come a long way to reach the top. It was nothing but their talent that has elevated them to the top. In simple, they believed in themselves their talent!

You may be wondering as to why I am writing about them with a common introduction. That is precisely because the duo have come forward to pay their gratitude to a leader who has not only been a source of encouragement to country’s budding sportsmen and women, but also to millions of people in the island who had been undergoing untold hardships due to terrorism.

Both Jayasinghe and Jayasuriya have joined President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Presidential election campaign to voice on the contribution made by the sports-loving President. Jayasinghe was the first to get into the President’s election platform at Ruwanwella a week ago and on Tuesday, Jayasuriya made his entry at President Rajapaksa’s election rally at Ambalangoda.

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Jayasuriya recalled those dark days during which people considered it a risk to travel to Colombo due to LTTE attacks. “Those days when we used to travel to Colombo for cricket practices, we were not sure of our return due to LTTE suicide attacks and bombs. But thanks to the fearless leadership of President Rajapaksa, we could now enjoy the true freedom,” Jayasuriya told the massive gathering.

It is heartening to see the tremendous support that is extended for the President’s campaign by sportsmen and women of today and those of yesteryear.

When Sri Lanka’s milestone achievements in the sports arena is talked about, we cannot forget the immense contributions made by President Rajapaksa as one of the greatest sports promoters.

He has always encouraged rural sportsmen and women, extending them necessary support and backing to make it to the big league. Understanding the need of taking sport to villages, the Sports Ministry, under his guidance, has taken many meaningful steps to promote sports at the grass roots level.

More importantly, two new 400m athletics tracks of international standards are being constructed in Torrington Square Colombo and Diyagama. All time, we only had a solitary international class 400m running track at the Sugathadasa Stadium. But under the direction of President Rajapaksa, two new running tracks would be ready for our national athletes at Torrington and Diyagama.

In fact, the Diyagama International Sports Complex is a multiport venue which will cater mainly to athletics and soccer. When completed, the sportsmen and women need not come to Colombo for training.

In a bid to take international cricket to villages, a brand new world-class stadium is being constructed in Hambantota under the patronage of the President. It is due to stage a next ICC World Cup tournament match. President Rajapaksa has been a keen listener to our sportsmen and women, coming to their rescue when it matters most. His prompt action to meet justice to Jayasuriya in 2005 was a classic example.

Jayasuriya, the most Valuable Player of the 1996 World Cup was at the receiving end and the then selectors almost forced him into a premature retirement.

But after President Rajapaksa requested a fair deal for Jayasuriya from the selectors, the master blaster replied promptly with a blistering century at the World Series match in Sydney in 2005. Jayasuriya has been unstoppable ever since and has played many match-winning innings.

President Rajapaksa was heading the local athletic governing body when Jayasinghe brought glory by becoming Asia’s first ever medallist in the history of IAAF World Championships. She bagged a silver medal in 1997 meet in Athens and that opened a new era in Sri Lanka sport.

When Jayasinghe’s career was is danger after being tested positive for a banned substance, it was the President, then as a senior Cabinet Minister and athletic official, who came to the rescue of the celebrated woman sprinter.

Similarly, the President has always been in the forefront when it comes to Sri Lanka sport. He has taken several important steps to promote sport and has helped Sri Lanka to mark its place prominently in the world sports map.

Thanks to the untiring efforts of President Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka has achieved many milestones in international sports arena. Besides the notable achievements by the national cricket team, Sri Lanka has secured many titles in athletics, netball, badminton, bodybuilding, shooting, tennis and rugby.

President Rajapaksa’s passion for sport has mainly been due to his background as a Public School athlete and later as President of the athletic and elle national controlling bodies.

It is natural that the sportsmen, women and the sports fans are rallying round the people’s President who has made a great contribution to Sri Lanka sport. One could expect even a greater success during President Rajapaksa’s ‘second innings’ as the First Citizen.