A boost in long-distance events expected with reforms to schools’ athletics programme  

by Reemus Fernando  

Inclusion of the 3,000 metres to the Under 18 age category is among a series of changes the Ministry of Education is about to introduce to its athletics programme after the proposals made by respected long-distance coach Susantha Fernando received the backing of leading sports officials of the Ministry at a forum to introduce long overdue reforms on Tuesday.

The 3,000 metres is the longest track event available for the Under 18 age category at events sanctioned by World Athletics, the world governing body for track and field sports. Despite the discipline being available at the Asian Youth (U18) Athletics Championships from its inception, local Junior National Athletics Championships and the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championships for the athletes of the said age category, the Ministry of Education was yet to include the long-distance event to the athletics programme.

“Susantha Fernando made a number of proposals. The inclusion of the 3,000 metres was just one of them. There were no objections to his proposals. They will be included in the athletics programme,” a senior official of the Ministry of Education said in an interview with The Island yesterday.

There had been previous occasions when such proposals were made but they had not been considered seriously by the top officials of the Ministry.

At the Education Ministry conducted athletics events, the 1,500 metres was the longest track discipline for the Under 18 age category until last year. A boost in the long-distance events is expected with the introduction of the 3,000 metres to the programme of the said age category this year.

Doing away with the points system for the lower age category disciplines, introducing the 600 metres to the Under 14 age category and reintroducing the long-distance medley relay to the Under 18 and Under 20 age categories of the Education Ministry conducted Relay Carnival are among the other notable changes that are likely to come to effect this year.

There was strong criticism when some of the long-distance events were scrapped from the Relay Carnival several years ago. Sunil Jayaweera, the then head of sports of the Ministry of Education took swift action to reintroduce the long-distance medley relay to the Under 18 age category in 2019. However, despite the success of the event it was scrapped from the programme the very next year.

The Sports Calendar of the Ministry of Education too had been finalized at the forum held on Tuesday. According to the Calendar, the Zonal Competitions are likely to be concluded before mid-June. The Provincial level competitions will be concluded by early September, while the All Island Schools Games will be held after the A/L Exam.