‘Niluka opted for sponsor instead of coach’

The Sports Ministry says that the Sri Lankan badminton player to the London 2012 Olympic Games Niluka Karunaratne has ignored the advice of Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage to take with him a coach and instead preferred to take Rohan de Silva, of McLarens, who is Niluka’s sponsor.

The ministry further explains in a release that after Niluka reached the Olympic qualifying level, on the advice of Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage the Ministry had taken all necessary steps to help Niluka. Responding to a request by the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA), the Ministry has spent one million rupees to train Niluka under a world’s top notch coach Young Man Kim. After Niluka’s defeat to Indian shuttler Kashyap in Olympics, during a press briefing Niluka had mentioned that he could have performed more confidently if his coach had been with him.

According to the SLBA President Parakrama Basnayaka the Poland coach Young Man Kim was there to instruct Niluka at the Olympic venue, the Sports Ministry further reveals.

Even though Niluka refused to take a coach to London, Sports Ministry allowed him to take his father Luwi Karunaratne who is a veteran badminton player as his Assistant Coach, the Ministry further explains.