China has pledged to back Sri Lanka’s medal campaign at next year’s South Asian Games offering to host and train athletes at no cost to the local federations.
Top Chinese sports leader Gou Zhongwen made this promise to Sri Lankan counterpart Suresh Subramaniam this week when the two met in Beijing underlying the growing relationship between the two countries.
He also pledged to help Sri Lanka build more sports facilities.
“I met Mr. Gou, the president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and he promised to help Sri Lanka sports and its athletes as we look ahead to the South Asian Games in Nepal next year,” revealed Subramaniam, president of the National Olympic Council of Sri Lanka.
“China will help train our athletes in every sport we take part at the South Asian Games and the offer is starting right now. We have to pick the athletes and they will be trained in Beijing and other cities in China at no cost to us. All we have to pay for is the airfare of the athletes.”
The South Asian Games will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal from March 9-18, 2019.
At the last Games in 2016, in India, Sri Lanka finished second behind the hosts winning a total of 171 medals including 25 golds.
Sri Lanka sent a massive squad of 484 athletes and took part in all 23 sports.
Sri Lanka has never finished top of the medal standings at the South Asian Games which has been dominated by India at all 12 previous editions.
“It is a massive and unprecedented step, something Sri Lanka has never seen before. and I’m very grateful to the Chinese sporting authorities for offering us a helping hand. We have the talent, but have often lacked the technical proficiency, and this offer will help us surmount that obstacle,” Subramaniam added.
Gou was quoted in the Chinese media as saying: “We are willing to work with Sri Lanka to strengthen bilateral sports exchanges and cooperation, open sports facilities to Sri Lanka, dispatch coaches and help Sri Lanka develop sports”.
Song Keqin, secretary-general of the Chinese Olympic Committee as well as senior officials of the Outreach Department of the State Sports General Administration of China were also present at the meeting.
Subramaniam who met the Chinese sports officials on the sidelines of a five-day business trip to Beijing said the NOC would act immediately and start identifying the athletes with a medal prospects so as to send them to China.
“We can even send them right away and they will be trained until the Games gets underway next March. It is up to the Federations now to put forward the names of the athletes. Everyone must be committed to this programme,” Subramaniam disclosed.
The NOC has set up a three-man committee headed by its vice-president, Joseph Kenny, and including members Chandana Liyanage and Ajith Thamel, to start talking to the national federations. Sri Lanka is once again expected to take part in all 23 sports with a total of 764 medals up for grabs including 228 golds.
“This is a huge boost for us. China is a sporting superpower. They topped the Olympic standings at the 2008 Beijing Games, and at the last Olympics in Rio 92016) they were narrowly pipped for second spot by Great Britain finishing with 26 golds,’ Subramaniam divulged.
“They have produced many outstanding athletes and world champions and this will be a golden opportunity for Sri Lanka to learn about China’s sports development. We can learn a lot from them and this experience will be invaluable,” Subramaniam added.
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