Nilani Ratnayake would have been the only homegrown talent to have reached qualifying standards for Olympics had she received the necessary backing at the right time. Here she is seen stumbling at the final barrier at the 2019 Asian Championship in Doha. Despite stumbling, she could finish fourth.

Missing an Olympic berth: Does anyone care?

by Reemus Fernando

Steeplechase is not for the faint-hearted. The unique track event combines endurance, speed, and agility into a terrific athletic competition. When veteran coach Sajith Jayalal first saw Nilani Ratnayake, he found that she possessed those qualities and the strength, courage and determination that are required to be a champion steeplechaser. They worked hard for years and it paid dividends. She became the country’s highest ranked athlete (35th in world rankings) in any track and field event with just six months before the Tokyo Olympics. Athletics enthusiasts were almost certain that she would become the first steeplechaser competing for Sri Lanka at an Olympics this year. But lack of quality competitions and a technical faux pass at one of the local competitions meant that she would be ranked 46th in the ‘Road to Olympic Rankings,” when the deadline closed for qualification. Sri Lanka Athletics were hoping that a top ranked athlete would pull out and the World Athletics would grant her a place. But that was not to be as the world governing body offered a wildcard to 800 metres runner Nimali Liyanarachchi ending Ratnayake’s hopes.

Despite the huge upset Nilani has been resolute and has shown what she is made of. As soon as she came to know that she had not qualified for the quadrennial event she took to social media and congratulated the athletes who have qualified for Olympics and apologised to her supporters for failing to qualify.

However we reckon that it should be the other way around as the Sports Ministry, National Olympic Committee and the Sri Lanka Athletics have all failed to support her cause. The country’s Olympic team of nine sportsmen and women have only two who have reached qualifying standards. They are the Italy based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon and German based Swedish equestrian athlete Mathilda Karlsson. Ratnayake would have been the only homegrown talent to have qualified if she made the cut. All three above said institutions have done things to help Ratnayake in one way or the other but have they done what is required to maintain her ranking is a question that they should give serious thought to.

Hungarian steeplechaser Lili Anna Toth who is ranked 45th in ‘Road to Olympics Rankings and qualified and 46th ranked Nilani Ratnayake both have equal ranking points (1190).

Country’s sports authorities are taking things for granted. There was hardly anything done when Ratnayake complained that the barriers during the Selection Trial in April were higher than the usual height. She cleared (35) barriers which were higher than the usual height for the women’s discipline. Due to the technical faux pas she got injured (trying to clear higher barriers) and had to take two weeks off to recover.

When the track and field athletes were struggling to improve world rankings and when Sri Lanka Athletics were desperately looking for help to get international competitions for local athletes during the pandemic did National Olympic Committee and the Sports Ministry come to their rescue? Did sports authorities who see millions of rupees being spent to keep cricket aloft during the pandemic take even the least interest to help track and field athletes continue their training in a bio secure bubble?

Neither Nilani nor the fellow track and field athletes would complain. Despite the setback Nilani’s coach Jayalal believes that the South Asian Games double gold medallist would come stronger to compete for Sri Lanka at future events.

There had been other heart breaks for Nilani during the last couple of years. She was about to clinch a medal at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships in Doha when she unfortunately stumbled at the last barrier and conceded the fourth place. But within months she overcame the disappointments and won gold medals at the South Asian Games. This time too, she would be determined to come back stronger ahead of a year full of international competitions. Her fighting spirits have inspired many who would have otherwise given up athletics.