News

Proud Sri Lanka athletes defy crisis to fulfil Games dreams

Published

3 years ago

2022/07/24

by Amal JAYASINGHE

Sri Lankan badminton champion Niluka Karunaratne heads to England next week to cap his Commonwealth Games career where it began — a swansong almost derailed by his bankrupt country’s bruising economic crisis.Competition organisers and Sri Lanka’s cricket board are funding the island nation’s largest-ever Games contingent, with 114 athletes flying to Birmingham in the coming days alongside coaches and support staff.

Local sports federations have been bled dry by Sri Lanka’s financial crash, leaving athletes in doubt in recent weeks over whether they would be able to compete at all.

“Sport has been our lives, it would have been a big, big disappointment,” said Karunaratne, a three-time Olympian who has appeared at every Commonwealth Games since his debut as a teenager at Manchester in 2002.

“Fortunately the sports ministry and the national cricket board did a great, great job to somehow find the funds,” the 37-year-old told AFP.

Sri Lanka has weathered months of food and fuel shortages, blackouts and runaway inflation in the wake of its worst financial crash on record. Public anger over the downturn this month saw a huge crowd storm the home and office of the country’s president, who then fled abroad and resigned.Sports federations were hit hard by the crisis after already seeing their coffers drained during the coronavirus pandemic, which obliterated athletic sponsorships from local businesses.

Federations were left without enough cash to pay for athlete uniforms and plane tickets at a time when a post-pandemic travel bounce has driven up the cost of airfares.Dampath Fernando, the Sri Lankan team’s chef de mission, said administrators had lobbied for support in their determination to do everything they could to give the country a chance to compete.

“As a matter of principle sport brings so many good things, so much happiness,” Fernando told AFP.

“We want to stand like other nations, in front of our flag, as a proud nation, keeping our backs straight, our heads strong and we want to do our best.”

Commonwealth Games organisers were made aware of the Sri Lankans’ financial struggles and responded with a promise to sponsor the bulk of the travelling squad.

Sri Lanka’s cricket board, which recently hosted Australia despite fears political unrest would disrupt their seven-week tour of the island, chipped in more than 22 million rupees ($60,000) to help cover the remaining shortfall.

– ‘We have a responsibility’ –

Sri Lanka’s worsening economy has thrown up other obstacles for the country’s athletes and their determination to improve on their haul of one silver and five bronze medals at the Gold Coast in 2018. Fuel shortages have made it difficult for some competitors to travel to practice, while budget constraints have left sport federations short of clothing and other essential equipment. Fernando said the resilience of the athletes had made him and his colleagues determined to get the competitors to the Games, which start next Thursday.

“This is not the first time that we as a country have faced these type of battles,” Fernando said, citing a decades-long civil war and a tsunami that killed more than 30,000 of his compatriots.

“It’s a dream of athletes to take part,” he added. “We have a responsibility to fulfil that dream. Just because we are facing economic crisis… does not mean that we just forget about it.”

Disruptions and unrest are now part of daily life in Sri Lanka and many athletes have done their best to make do.

“Anyway, I can’t control it,” said Ganga Senavirathne, 19, a swimmer preparing for her Commonwealth Games debut.

“In terms of things I can control, like my training, I was able to manage everything pretty well,” she told AFP.

“Politics is not a conversation I enjoy.”

All News Advertisement

Latest News

Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya

Published

4 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]

Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.

Latest News

Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

Deep depression Track. [Source: RSMC]

Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, Department of Meteorology at 10.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 for the period until 10.30 a.m. 09 January 2026

The depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka has intensified into a deep depression and is centered near latitude 5.4°N and longitude 85.3°E, about 420 km southeast of Pottuvil at 05.30 a.m. today (08th). The above system is currently (10:00 a.m.) located about 300 km southeast of Pottuvil.

It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across the southwest Bay of Bengal and cross the Sri Lanka coast between Hambantota and Kalmunai between 5.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. on Friday [9th January 2026].

Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, NorthCentral, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance from today (08th).

For the Land area:

DAMAGE EXPECTED:
• Damage to huts, temporary shelters and light structures
• Destroy the roof tops/ sheets etc.
• Damage to power and communication lines.
• Breaking of tree branches and uprooting of large avenue trees.
• Damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards.
• Damage to harbor yachts
• Flash flood
• Sea water inundation in low lying areas in the near coast.

Action suggested for the Land area:
• Coastal hutment dwellers are advised to move to safer places. Other people in the affected areas to remain indoors.
• People living in hilly areas (particularly landslide prone areas) and low lying areas in river basins are requested to be vigilant.
• Drivers and people using roads in the hilly areas are requested to be vigilant.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• General public is requested to be vigilant regarding impending extreme weather situation.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
• Requested to be attentive about future advisories issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

Latest News

Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces and showers about 50-75 mm in other areas

Published

16 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 JANUARY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The depression over the Bay of Bengal, located to the southeast of Sri Lanka, was centered near latitude 5.3°N and longitude 86.0°E, about 490 km southeast of Pottuvil, at 11:30 p.m. yesterday (07). It is expected to move west-northwestwards and towards the eastern coast of the island during next 24 hours. This system is likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours.

Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva, Central and Southern provinces. Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere in the Island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces. Fairly Heavy showers about (50 – 75) mm are likely at some places in the other areas of the island.

Strong winds about (50-60) kmph can be expected at times over the Eastern slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and in Hambantota, Gampaha, Colombo and Monaragala districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.