Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa criticized the conduct of certain athletes who competed in Tokyo Olympic Games claiming that there are serious concerns about their discipline.
In response to a question of SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri during the Oral Question Round, Rajapaksa claimed that an athlete had forgotten her sport shoes in Sri Lanka when travelling to Japan.
“It is the athlete’s responsibility to take shoes, not ours. Do we need to remind them to bring their shoes too? If they have good discipline and a winning mentality, such things cannot happen. For some athletes, this was just a trip. That was why they could not even reach to their personal best records,” he alleged.
He said only three athletes out of the team that represented Sri Lanka had qualified for this year’s games, while the others had participated as wildcard entries.
Speaking further, Rajapaksa said that a report has been called from the National Olympic Committee for its failure to provide Olympic kit for athletes with the national flag on it.
“We heard that some athletes said that they want to wear worn jersey’s they are comfortable with when participating in their respective events. However, we have called for a report from the National Olympic Committee on this matter.”
The Minister further said that Sri Lanka requires at least a 15-year plan to win an Olympic medal. The Sports Ministry will introduce a long term plan to win this goal, he added.
He also said that a Code of Conduct for athletes will be presented to Parliament in January 2022.
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