Junior National Athletic Championships on a grand scale

Bernard Perera

ATHLETICS: The 50th Annual Junior Athletic Championships for the year 2007 in scheduled to be conducted from July 20-22. The championship has attracted over 2300 athletes from all parts of the country said Major General Palitha Fernando President of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka at a press briefing held at its premises yesterday.

General Fernando said in previous years the Junior Nationals were held minus championship trophies.

This year with Dialog GSM sponsoring the championship there will be two challenge trophies on offer Boys and Girls said General Fernando.

Adding further he said that Junior Athletic Championship is the stepping stone for athletes to prove their capability to reach higher levels. Earlier there was no system to pick the young talent to set up a second string of athletes to take up the top positions when the seniors say adieu to the sport.

Now the present governing body taking into consideration the short fall of athletes to set up the second string have decided to pick the best to undergo training, said General Fernando. He further outlined the plans to improve the standard of Athletics in Sri Lanka.

He cited when you consider other leading countries they always depended on the younger set to reach the top. They were keen on looking after them very carefully.

This was not the practice in Sri Lanka. We have now decided to introduce this system with the fullest backing of the Ministry of sports. We have forwarded the criteria regarding this new programme to the Ministry for their perusal, and got the blessings from them said the General.

Chirantha de Zoysa General Manager Marketing and Promotions speaking on behalf of the sponsors Dialog G.S.M. said that his company has been in the forefront in sponsoring sports in Sri Lanka.

My company was engaged with athletics for a long period, but we had to be out for few years.

With the new set appointed to the Governing body of athletics has made a fine programme to improve the standard of this sport. With Major General Palitha Fernando guiding in the correct path and his invitation to join hands with athletics prompted us join them once again. My company hope the programmes compiled by the governing body could bring in good results said de Zoysa.

D. B. Dahanayake, Director General Sports Ministry who was present on the occasion said that the earlier practices have not brought good results. Our athletes have competed in many international events but failed to reach the podium. That is the past.

Now the time has come to think of new strategies to improve the standard here. Ministry is ready give it fullest cooperation and finances provided a well set programme is formulated. The Athletic Association's new programme looks for a good future, that is the reason the Ministry sanctioned this programme said the Director General.

Adding further he said that his Ministry has instructed all sports governing bodies to formulate specific guidelines to set up second string of players for all sports. If this is done properly the Ministry is ready to assist in all possible ways, said the Director General.