Airmen fly high

Yasaratna Gamage

They not only fly high skies, but also dominate the sports field and have gained achievements and fame at national and international level as disciplined service personnel representing Sri Lanka.

Their capabilities are a sign of many victories to come and seems that their talents are spread to a vast area the same as the endless skies which they roam in.

It is the powerful force of the youth emerges from the Air Force Sports Club, triggered under a well managed administration headed by their Commander Air Marshal H D Abeywickrama.

Well facilitated

To quench the never ending thirst of Airmen to fly high in the sports field, the Air Force will upgrade Katunayake, Ekala and Ratmalana sports complexes into three sports villagers equipped with sports facilities which will meet the international standards. This certainly will add a new chapter in the entire sports field in Sri Lanka where guardians of the skies will groom the local talents under their wings.

These venues are used for many sports at present and with the facelift and refurbishment they will be a venue for many sports. In terms of the talents and performances displayed form Air Force personnel in recent times including this year more merits for the motherland can be expected form them in the future.

Initiated in 1954, then sports council of Royal Air Force which ran under a secretary, air commodore J C Blake and then flight lieutenant H Wrenshawe, airmen took part in football, rugby and volleyball.

The club was administered by a president in 1957 where Wing Commander A E Dale took over the responsibility of airmen's sports. Further expanded and developed in 1960 sports club in Air Force under the presidency of the Air Force Commander, now has reached to 34 games with 54 teams where more than 1500 airmen actively taking part in various games at professional level.

In order to ensure the sports development and continuous flow of events, a command sports officer was appointed to the sports club in 2005 to who many tasks have been assigned including inspection of games, procurement, conducting lectures and seminars, selections and also transfers and promotions of sports personnel.

Well planned half done

Group captain Deepthi Chandana who is the command sports officer said that the Air Force has short, mid and long term plans to develop sports in the Air Force and that the aims and targets are well directed by the Commander.

Already the Air Force posses a magnificent rugby ground and an international level squash court apart from other infrastructure. By mid year when the construction will have finished they will also have a swimming pool, basket ball court, tennis court with standard facilities and other venues for indoor games.

The sports personnel are supplied with sports wear, necessary food which are at high standards in nutrition. There is a doctor for each team to make sure the sportsmen stay healthy.

A successful year

2012 was a year that Air Force sports personnel grabbed many championships, gold, silver and bronze medals in local and international sports events and tournaments. They also dominated the Defense Services Games where they grabbed championships in many different sports.

The Commander has initiated a three-step plan to develop sports in Air Force. Basically those who perform well are motivated to go further by awarding them cash awards and promotions.

Secondly infrastructure to be furnished at high standards which enable them to experience the international conditions at home. Educating sports personnel on sports friendly food practices and supplement, sports medicine. This will immensely help them to become a professional sportsmen.

Another key aspect is to have their own coaches within the Air Force itself. They will be either veterans who have gone through foreign coaching training or those who qualify in Sri Lanka as level one and two coaches. The latter will be trained in coaching programmes in respective sports federations.

As a whole their aim is to produce maximum number of sports personnel from Air Force to represent the country.

True heroes

Being a sport personnel in the Air Force always gifts them an advantage. Reputation, care and nourishment, greater possibility for promotions are to mention few. They also engage in their duties relevant to their ranks and thus making them to a person with multiple capabilities. Last year Rs 32 million has been spent for facilities apart from the infrastructure. They also have done a great deal of work to promote sports in rural areas specially in the North and East by organizing tournaments and sports festivals. This in other words is a doorway to rural talent to emerge.