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Medal-winning coaches yet to be rewarded

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3 years ago

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Coaches of the athletes who won medals at last month’s Asian Athletics Championship pose at a function to felicitate medal winners. The coaches returned home empty-handed from the function where their charges received handsome cash rewards. (from left) Ravindu Theekshana, Sajith Jayalal, Susantha Fernando, Asanka Rajakaruna, Daminda Bandara, Vimukthi de Soyza, S. P. D. Silva, Harijan Rathnayaka, Anuradha Nanayakkara, Muddika Thushara and Pradeep Nishantha.

by Reemus Fernando

The historic achievement of track and field athletes at the recently held Asian Athletics Championships is still causing ripples across the sporting arena. From Tharushi Karunaratne’s record-breaking 800 metres triumph to men’s 4×400 metres relay team’s heroics are being appreciated by all and sundry. The medal winners have been rightly rewarded with the support of the cooperate sector. However the untiring efforts of the true heroes, the medal-producing coaches have gone unrewarded.

The achievement in Thailand was not a miracle. From planting the seeds of belief in these athletes years before they even realized their true potential to peaking them at the right moment to win medals there had been many untold responsibilities undertaken by their respective coaches. The medals were the result of years of hard work and planning by the coaches. The veteran athletes who won medals had been training under these coaches for years. Even during times when no one dared to take up sports. When the country’s sports hierarchy went into a deep slumber during the corona-induced lockdown periods and when even some of their fellow athletes abandoned all hope during the economic crisis these dedicated coaches had motivated their athletes to persevere in their respective disciplines.

In Sri Lanka, the coach’s job goes beyond the boundaries of the playground.  It is the coaches who identify the true potential of the athlete, educate their parents of the future potential and even take care of the various needs of the athletes. It should be stated here that a vast majority of the country’s track and field athletes come from not so well to do families. Training such athletes for highly demanding events is no easy task.

The gold-winning 400 metres sprinter Nadeesha Ramanayake was a sixth-place finisher in a 3,000 metres race when she first took part in a Junior National Championship. It was no easy task to introduce and train an athlete who had not won at the junior level a discipline once dominated by a legend like Damayanthi Dharsha. Hadn’t Muddika Thushara identified Ramanayake’s potential at Weeraketiya a decade ago Sri Lanka would not have ended more than two decades of wait for an individual 400 metres gold at the Asian Championship last month.

Sajith Jayalal had been a great source of strength to double bronze medallist Gayanthika Abeyratne for more than a decade. In a sport where rewards are hard to come by just persevering for over a decade in itself is worthy of being rewarded. Had Jayalal decided to be in the comfort of his office at the National Institute of Sports Sciences without parting his knowledge, the likes of Gayanthika and the dozens of athletes from the tri forces would have either given up the sport or be producing substandard performances.

Has any administrator in the Sports Ministry or the Ministry of Education or any other authority ever appreciated Susantha Fernando’s contribution to athletics? Has he ever been appreciated for the many medallists he has produced for Sri Lanka at Asian Youth Championships, Asian Junior Championships, Asian Championships, South Asian Games or open championships? His trainees have gone on to own almost all age category 800 metres national records. Has there been any appreciation at the national level for the yeoman service he has rendered for decades at Ratnayake Central Walala? Tharushi Karunaratne would have given up track and field sport after the ordeal she had to go through at Digana and the unpleasant experience she had to face due to the faux pas in the run-up to the Junior World Championships last year. If not for the mediation of Fernando, Tharushi would have hung up her spikes before her schooldays were over.

Pradeep Nishantha who trains Dilhani Lekamge (bronze medallist of the women’s javelin throw) is the coach to many leading throwers of the country including Paralympics medallists. His guidance has changed the lives of many athletes.

Aruna Dharshana’s journey from Seruwila to Akuramboda would have been meaningless hadn’t Asanka Rajakaruna gone out of his way to help the budding athlete. Many appreciated the performances of Dharshana when he returned from Gifu with the Asian Junior Championship record against his name in 2018. Except the coach not many were behind him when he could not replicate such performances in the immediate aftermath. Sri Lanka may not have won an individual medal in the men’s 400 metres but the men’s 4×400 metres team inclusive of Dharshana were able to create history in Thailand and their time produced to win the relay gold stands as one of the best performances of the globe this year. The other coaches of the men’s relay team members namely Vimukthi de Soyza (Kalinga Kumarage), Daminda Bandara (Pasindu Kodikara), S.P.D. Silva (Pabasara Niku), Harijan Rathnayake (Rajitha Rajakaruna) and Ravindu Theekshana and Anuradha Nanayakkara who train women’s relay team members Nishendra Fernando and Lakshima Mendis respectively have similar stories behind the medal-winning heroics.

Sri Lanka’s track and field owes its success to the many coaches who toil from dawn to dusk to hone the skills of their charges. A vast majority of them do a voluntary job. Hence the coaching fraternity well aware of the service they render were shocked when the medal-winning coaches had to return home empty-handed from a recently held function where their charges were rewarded with handsome cash awards for the medals they won at the Asian Athletics Championships.

 Years ago the Ministry of Sports introduced a scheme to reward coaches when their athletes win international medals. What the track and field athletes achieved last month in Thailand was a historic accomplishment which deserves sports ministry backing. The Sports Ministry is yet to act more than two weeks after the athletes had returned home. Having provided their services free of charge these coaches may not ask for cash rewards but it is incumbent upon authorities to reward them appropriately. That will be a huge morale boost for the rest of the coaching fraternity.

The Country’s Sports hierarchy has failed to capitalize on historic track and field achievements be it Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe’s triumphs at the World level or the epic sub ten seconds 100 metres dash of Italy-based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon. What will be the legacy of the historic Asian Championship triumph?


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Sports

A good Samaritan

Published

20 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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Ruchira Palliyaguruge

by Rex Clementine

Last week, the scorebooks of school cricket needed a fresh rewrite as Kingswood College, Kandy broke a 68-year hoodoo to clinch their Big Match against Dharmaraja College in the hill capital. Almost in tandem, down south, another long wait ended when St. Servatius’ College, Matara turned the tables on arch-rivals St. Thomas’ College, Matara, sealing a famous win after 55 years.

St. Servatius’ rise has not been a flash in the pan. For the better part of 15 years, they have been punching well above their weight, taking guard in Division 1 and holding their own against the heavyweights. The production line has not dried either, with a steady stream of Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketers making their mark on bigger stages. In many ways, they have helped put outstation cricket back on the front foot.

Behind the sightscreen, however, stands a quiet architect. Ruchira Palliyaguruge, a name that may not grab headlines but one that has been doing the hard yards. A former teammate of Sanath Jayasuriya at St. Servatius’, Ruchira was no mug with the bat or ball, enjoying a prolific domestic career after narrowly missing the national cap.

Post-retirement, he swapped spikes for the white coat, rising through the ranks to officiate on the ICC panel, standing in matches across the globe. But his most telling contribution has come away from the glare of international arenas.

In the aftermath of the Big Match triumph, it emerged that for two decades Ruchira had been quietly footing the bill for the school’s cricket coaches, no drum roll, no fanfare, just a man playing a straight bat for a cause close to his heart.

This has not been merely about opening his wallet. He has invested time, energy and know-how, ensuring the game at St. Servatius’ keeps moving in the right direction. Even after the boys hang up their school caps, he has remained in their corner, helping them find employment and navigate life beyond the boundary.

Good Samaritans like Ruchira are the need of the hour if outstation cricket is to stay in the game. While Colombo schools enjoy the luxury of deep pockets and old boys’ networks, many rural schools are forced to play on a sticky wicket. It is through the generosity and vision of individuals like him that the game continues to tick over smoothly beyond the city limits.

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Wins for Inqube Global , WSO2, Star Garments, MAS Active Kreeda, CDB ‘B’ and Wiley Global Technology on Sunday [22]

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20 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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15TH STAFFORD MOTORS – MCA G DIVISION T20 LEAGUE CRICKET TOURNAMENT

Inqube Global, WSO2, Star Garments, MAS Active Kreeda , CDB ‘B’ and Wiley Global Technology emerged victorious in the league stage matches of the Stafford Motors sponsored, MCA G division T20 League Cricket Tournament played on Sunday 22nd March.

At the SLC Ground in Banadaragama, Kanishka Eshan grabbed four wickets and Hiranga Jayasinghe and Suresh Madusanka chipped in with 40 runs and 30 runs respectively to help Inqube Global beat Swisstek Ceylon by four wickets to lead group F of the tournament. Daminda Wijekoon contributed 58 runs off 38 balls for the losers. In the afternoon game at the same venue Dimutu Madushan captured four wickets to help WSO2 defeated Hayleys Group by five wickets .

At the Royal College Grounds, Star Garments registered their fourth win in four outings defeating Pyramid Wilmar by one wicket in the penultimate ball of their innings. In a group B game played in the afternoon, MAS Active Kreeda consigned group leaders Emar Pharma to their second defeat in the tournament.

At de Mazenod College Grounds in Kandana, Chathuranga Dikkumbura and Isuru Jayaranga scored 39 runs each to help CDB ‘B’ registered a net run rate boosting ten wicket win over Sysco Labs. In the afternoon match Panitha Dangalla and Sayuru Wanasinghe guided Wiley Global Technology to a five wicket win over 99X.

At SLC Grounds Bandaragama:

Inqube Global won by 4 wickets

Swisstek Ceylon 174/8 in 20 overs

[Lasith Karunathilake 10, Danidu Wijekoon 58, Tihan Senanayake 17, Dushmantha Dias 33, Lahiru Piyumal 25, Nadeera Liyanage 16; Isuru Lakshan 1-21, Lahiru Subashana 1-35, Kanishka Eshan 4-25]

Inqube Global 175/6 in 19.5 overs

[Hiranga Jayasinghe 40, Isuru Lakshan 18, Suresh Madusanka 30, Sanindu Deshan 23*, Upul Chandra 23; Dushmantha Dias 1-16, Tihan Senanayake 1-25, Saranga Lakshan 1-18, Lahiru Piyumal 1-18, Gamini Wanasinghe 2-35]

WSO2 won by five wickets

Hayleys Group 127/8 in 20 overs

[Adeesha Jayarathna 50, Dilan Suraweera 13, Lasantha Prabath 31*; Dimuthu Madushan 4-19, Osanda Herath 1-25, Oshanda Yomal 2-24, Dev Wijewarden 1-14]

WSO2 132/5 in 18.5 overs

[Devin Jayasinghe 42, Isuru Ruhunage 31, Kaveesha Rajapaksha 19, Osanda Herath 13, Dev Wijewardena 15*; Mahesh Deepal 1-15, Lasantha Prabath 1-45, Pasindu Adithya 2-14, Sumudu Marasinghe 1-39]

At Royal College Grounds:

Star Garments won by 1 wicket

Pyramid Wilmar 140/10 in 20 overs

[Lasith Fernando 54, Shanaka Fernando 24, Sahas Vihanga 21; Randu Fernando 2-25, Dunik Perer 1-29, Dhanuka Dulanjana 1-21, Yohan Aloka 2-25, Rishantha Anushka 2-19]

Star Garments 141/9 in 19.5 overs

[Nadeesha Rajakaruna 12, Chathuranga Dilshan 13, Yohan Aloka 25, Shakila de Silva 22, Randu Fernando 20, Dhanuka Dulanjana 17*; Budhdhika Herath 2-22, Udesh Nishan 3-23, Umeda Madusha 2-23, Upeksha Lakshan 2-31]

MAS Active Kreeda won by 5 wickets

Emar Pharma 101/10 in 20 overs [Janith Jayasinghe 23, Devinda Ayesh 26, Dishan Hettiarachchi 30; Suventhiran Subikaran 2-28, Adeesha Miyusara 1-18, Sivakumar Partheepan 3-12, Kanesh Piratheepan 2-23]

MAS Active Kreeda 103/4 in 12.1 overs

[Jineetha Malith 14, Adeesha Miyusara 28, Suventhiran Subikaran 29*; Deshan Fernado 3-34, Rajendran Sagitharan 1-21]

At De Mazenod College Grounds

CDB ‘B’ won by 10 wickets

Sysco Labs 79/9 in 13 overs

[Bhagya Dissanayake 20, Chathura Hennanayake 10; Vishwa Dhananjaya 2-14, Chamod Madushan 2-17, Dhanushka Dharmasiri 1-08, Dasun Senevirathne 1-09]

CDB ‘B’ 82/0 in 20 overs

[Chathuranga Dikkumbura 39*, Isuru Jayaranga 39*]

Panitha and Sayuru power Wiley Gliobal to a 5 wicket win

99X 122/7 in 20 overs

[Sachith Jayasinghe 14, Ishrath Raji 35, Sameera Piyasundera 18, Saranga Liyanage 19; Sayuru Wanasinghe 1-13, Lilan Karunarathne 1-14, Omal Bhagya 2-25]

Wiley Global Technology 125/5 in 15.4 overs

[Thushara Peiris 19, Lilan Karunarathne 15, Panitha Dangalla 40*, Sayuru Wanasinghe 25*; Sachith Jayasinghe 1-31, Kushan Rathnayake 2-21, Ishrath Raji 1-21, Saranga Liyanage 1-19]

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Deneth ton, Mevindu five-for highlight Dharmaloka–Sumangala quarter-final battle

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20 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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Kaveen Deneth / Mevindu Kumarasiri

An impressive century by opener Kaveen Deneth and a five-wicket haul from Mevindu Kumarasiri highlighted an absorbing first day in the Under 19 Division I Tier B quarter-final between Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya and Sri Sumangala College, Panadura played at Kuruvita on Wednesday.

‎After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Sri Sumangala kept the pressure on by striking at regular intervals. However, Deneth produced a determined innings to anchor the Sri Dharmaloka batting line-up and keep his team in the contest.

‎Sri Sumangala made the early breakthrough in only the second over when paceman Sihas Nethdinu dismissed Mewan Randeepana without scoring. Deneth then shared a brief partnership with Tharusha Mihiranga, whose 24-ball stay produced just seven runs.

‎With Sri Dharmaloka struggling at 30 for 2 in the 10th over, Deneth steadied the innings and received useful support from the middle order. Senuka Pehesara contributed 29 runs, while Chanul Nethsitha (17) and Koshitha Adithya (19) also chipped in with valuable runs.

‎Deneth’s patient knock of 106 off 161 balls, which included 12 fours and two sixes, proved crucial in holding the innings together as Sri Dharmaloka were eventually bowled out for 211 in 76.3 overs.

‎Sri Sumangala’s bowling honours went to Mevindu Kumarasiri, who delivered a tireless spell and finished with impressive figures of 5 for 82 in 32.3 overs, emerging as the standout bowler of the day.

‎In reply, Sri Sumangala encountered early trouble as spinner Sathindu Prabodha struck in successive overs to put the Panadura side under pressure.

‎At stumps on day one, Sri Sumangala were struggling at 11 for 2, setting up an intriguing second day in this closely contested quarter-final encounter.

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