Experts suggest rupees 1,000 to 1,500 for daily nutritional expenses of top athletes

by Reemus Fernando

A sportsman aspiring to reach international level has to spend between rupees 1,000.00 to 1,500.00 daily to meet his nutritional needs if he is to be competitive at that level, a professor attached to the Nutrition Society of Sri Lanka told a group of coaches attending an online seminar on Sunday.

“The nutritional needs of an athlete competing at international level is different to an average person. Special emphasis should be given to fulfill nutritional requirements. To provide a balance diet that compensate the daily calory requirement you need to spend between rupees 1,000.00 to 1,500.00,” said professor Renuka Silva addressing the fifth session of the seminar, dedicated to nutritional requirements of international athletes.

According to the Nutrition Society of Sri Lanka, the calculation (Rs. 1,000.00-1,500.00) has been made considering costs involved in fulfilling daily nutritional requirements of a top level athlete.

The fifth session of the Sports Nutrition seminar conducted by the Nutrition Society of Sri Lanka was addressed by several professors and doctors who emphasized the need to address individual nutritional requirements of top athletes according to their discipline.

The experts’ figures however are quite at odds with what the Sports Ministry has calculated for the country’s top athletes.

The sports ministry’s nutritional allowance given to athletes in national pools is rupees 750.00 and the pool athletes who attend training in Colombo are given a common meal irrespective of their specific nutritional needs.

However an official of the Ministry of Sports said that a day’s meals provided to athletes at the sports hostel is highly under valued. “If you are going to buy the same meal outside that will cost you more than 1,000.00 rupees per day. So the budgeted amount of rupees 750.00 does not reflect the actual value of the meals provided,” said the official.

“There is quantity but if a nutritionist visit the place I am sure that he would not be able to vouch for the quality of the meal,” a source close to athletes who have been using the sports ministry facility told The Island.