National Paralympic Committee (NPC) President Brigadier Dhananjaya Aludeniya (Retd.) says that the Sports Ministry has so far failed to hand over the guaranteed cash rewards and fete the local athletes, who competed in the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games and at the Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships.
He said the practice of handing over cash prizes to para-athletes who regularly excel and bring fame and glory to the country at global events had been continued unabated during the past decade or so, under various sports ministers.
However, he bemoaned the failure of the current Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, to continue with the time-honoured custom and stressed that the NPC, as the game’s local governing body, had made submissions to both the Prime Minister and the Sports Minister, but to no avail.
“This is a very disappointing situation to say the least,” NPC President Brig. Aludeniya said, adding: “We as the NPC have made repeated requests to the powers that be, related to the importance of providing the para-athletes the cash rewards and medals that have been promised to them. But, so far no positive response has been forthcoming either on the part of the minister or his ministry.”
He pointed out that even the two Deputy Ministers including Eranga Gunasekera and ex-Olympian Sugath Thilakaratne had also been sounded out about the perceived delay in handing over what is entitled to the athletes concerned, but affirmed that the NPC was yet to receive a positive feedback from the duo.
According to the head of the NPC, the Sports Ministry has only conveyed to his committee that the ministry was currently analysing the criteria under which the athletes are to be remunerated.
But, he warned any lengthy delay in giving the athletes their due could dissuade them from continuing to represent the country for the foreseeable future.
“It is a known fact that athletes represent the country not only with the aim of bringing honour to the country, but with the added bonus of winning medals and cash prizes,” the NPC President opined.
“That motivates all sportsmen and women and that is human nature. This is applicable to all sportsmen and sportswomen, and if one says otherwise then it is a fabrication. These remunerations drive these athletes to give their best at international meets, and when it is not forthcoming, it can create a negative mindset and even prompt some to leave the sport altogether. That is the lurking danger that lies beneath this. I fervently hope the Sports Ministry is aware of this.”
Former Sports Minister Harin Fernando had reportedly donated a sum of Rs. 40 million from the Sports Fund to 10 para-athletes and 11 of their coaches, at an event held in July last year, after they had excelled in the Asian Para Athletic Championships held from 20-26 October in Bangkok, Thailand in 2023.
Fernando had similarly feted 11 para-athletes and 20 of their trainers, who had won medals at the 2023 Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China from 22 to 28 October, with a sum of Rs. 60 million.
Furthermore, the current Sports Minister’s predecessor had provided a cash prize of Rs. 10 million to national para-athlete Nuwan Indika and his trainer Y.K. Kularatne, after Indika had clinched gold at the said Asian Para Games in China.
But, informed sources revealed that three para athletes who had stood out for Sri Lanka at each of the aforementioned games, namely Palitha Bandara, M.G. Nuwan Indika, and Samitha Dulan, were yet to be adequately remunerated for their significant achievements.
The Sports Ministry had previously released the criteria governing the handing over of official cash rewards to sportsmen and players who excel at Government-recognised global sports meets. Efforts made to contact the Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage for his views on the issue proved futile.
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