July 30, Colombo (LNW): Reliable sources have confirmed that rumours suggesting the presence of numerous ministry officials and politicians in the Sri Lankan delegation for this year’s Olympics are unfounded.
It has been verified that the subject Minister attended the inauguration ceremony briefly, funding this visit personally. However, sources also revealed that some attendees had not received approval from the National Olympics Committee chairperson but had instead been authorised by the Ministry through the Secretary of the National Olympics Committee.
Despite significant contributions from the Minister and the Director General towards the preparation of Olympic-qualified athletes, no medical officers from the Sports Medicinal Unit’s database were appointed to support the athletes at the event.
This oversight reflects previous instances in which the National Olympic Committee has neglected athlete welfare. A volunteer medical officer has now been added to the team following concerns raised by athletes and coaches.
Additionally, it has come to light that an individual serving the committee who had previously involved in an attempt to leave the country without the Olympic Chairman’s approval was nominated for travel to Paris whilst on bail but was ultimately not permitted to go.
Each athlete has the option to attend with their personal trainer, and managers for each sport have been appointed. The delegation includes the Director General of Sports representing both the Sports Ministry and the Department of Sports Development.
It is notable that the list does not feature a large number of politicians or observers.
Nevertheless, information has also emerged that certain officials have been given the opportunity to attend the Paralympics following the Olympics in Paris, potentially incurring additional expenses for return trips to Sri Lanka.
This matter will continue to be monitored closely.
*Adapted from original article, “ඔලිම්පික්වලට මෙවර නිලධාරි සහ දේශපාලනඥයින් පොකුරු පිටින් නැහැ” by Nishman Ranasinghe, published on 30.07.2024.
