Manju Wanniarachchi was able to bring a Gold Medal in Common Wealth Boxing Games after 72 years. I'm writing this article to both congratulate him and present my opinion regarding sports in Sri Lanka. In our context this was a great victory because Sri Lanka is a WONDERFUL country which offers lesser facilities to athletes who try to shine our motherland with medals. Therefore if someone plays for country he has to go his journey himself. Neither officials nor media pay their attention to those nascent athletes until he or she scores a medal in international area. So it is a really miracle if someone can bring a medal to country under thiis situation where as other countries provide maximum support for their athletes. That is the situation before win any medal and when athletes win a medal situation is completely is contrast. Officials are waiting to take snapshots with medal winners and uncountable wishes are offered. Mass Media offers full coverage. Fortunately I was able to find out a Photo of Manju Wanniarachchi in which he is posed alone.
Next I wish to point out some issues in sports in our schools. Many in born talented athletes can be found on sportsmeets in schools but unfortunately they are not given proper guidance and most importantly they have no enough facilities to practice and enhance their skills. If a student shows his skills in a particular sports, from that point he has to face lot of difficulties. Many look him jealousy and if a child of teacher in same school plays same game, talented student has to stopped his journey. On that side Manju Wanniarachchi was lucky enough to study in Vidyartha College, Kandy which has a good reputation for athletes. Facilities that are required for most of games are limited to Colombo. If someone in rural area wants to continue his sporting career he has to migrate to Colombo. Manju Wanniarachchi is a rare example who does his practices outside of Colombo. There is boards, authorities for each game but unfortunately most of them are limited to their name and nothing has done to benefits of either athletes or sports in Sri Lanka. Being a Chess player I had experience this bad situation very well and it is hard to find anything done by Chess Federation of Sri Lanka to promote Chess in Sri Lanka and all other regulators of other sports repeat same story.
This is the bitter truth of situation of sports in Sri Lanka. This is the reason for not having a succeeding athletes after Sugath Tilakarathne or Susanthika Jayasinghe. As a result of this only few extraodinaries perfom in international stage represnting Sri Lanka.
However I wish YOU all the best for Manju Wanniarachchi for your GREAT VICTORY and wish U MAY BE ABLE TO BRING GOLD MEDAL FROM OLIMPIC TO OUR MOTHERLAND.
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