Bid to build a sports culture in Sri Lanka

The Ministry of Sports would like to state that four ministries, namely the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Youth Affairs have aligned with the Ministry of Sports to build a sports culture as well as a sports economy within the country via the National Sports Policy.

A special meeting of the Secretaries of these Ministries was held with the Minister of Sports, Mahindananda Aluthgamage at the Sports Ministry on November 30 to discuss the strength and support the Ministries of Education, Higher Education, Youth Affairs and Tourism can give for the implementation of the National Sports Policy.

It has been identified that sports can be a stimulant in the economic development of Sri Lanka. For this purpose, the Government intends to invest in sports development work such as the development of sports infrastructure, honing of international level coaches, and production of sporting material. It is also expected that through the National Sports Policy, steps will be taken to organize national and international tournaments as well as to develop tourism oriented sports such as mountain climbing, surfing, beach sports and other water sports, so as to attract the tourists.

The Ministry of Sports states that the National Sports Policy also includes a programme of producing sports oriented commercial activities such as producing sports physicians and sports physiotherapists as well as to send sports analysts and coaches abroad.

The National Sports Policy aims to make Sri Lanka the foremost sporting nation in Asia by making all citizens of Sri Lanka sportsmen and women by promoting physical fitness, by promoting the concept of sports for leisure, school sports, sports for the youth, giving a helping hand to the sports associations, taking sports to the villages, as well as by encouraging more participation of women in sports. The National Sports Policy is further drafted to initiate many other programmes such as streamlining the work of the sporting bodies, promoting and developing traditional sports, developing sports medical facilities, building strong defences against doping, State sponsorships for international tournaments, providing higher education scholarships to athletes, developing the sports research knowledge, recognizing and honouring sporting professionals, providing athletes with respectable jobs, commencing a national sports information centre, and the establishment of a sports museum.

(Sports Ministry media release)