SLA election fixed for 12 March: Bimal vows to transform local athletics

• Lanka can hold own against superior athletes, says Talavou

Bimal Wijayasinghe who is set to contest the top post of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) at its election of office bearers set for Thursday (12), vowed that he will transform the domestic track and field sphere enabling athletes to consistently aspire for medals at global meets.

The former Ananda College athlete who had excelled at district level stated that he will bring forth his three-decades-long administrative expertise honed in the private sector to uplift the domestic track and field circuit from its current pitiful plight.

He noted that to fulfil this task he had assembled a set of skilled and a proven set of administrators including the likes of Talavou Alailima, Sunil Jayaweera and Susantha Fernando, to name a few.

He made these comments during a press briefing convened at the Football House in Colombo last week, to enlighten the press of his team’s strategy to revitalise the country’s track and field sector, upon winning the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM). 

Alailima, the ex-Thomian is an accomplished ex-athlete, sports entrepreneur, and fitness pioneer best known as a record-holding thrower and the founder of Power World Gyms.

He has also been recognised for transforming the fitness industry here and making significant contributions to sports development and nutrition.

Jayaweera, a former head of the local body is a veteran sports administrator and a former athlete widely regarded as a pioneering figure of the National Schools Sports concept introduced in 1984.

He had also played a pivotal role in moulding the athletics careers of legendary sprint queen Susanthika Jayasinghe (silver, Sydney 2000) and Asian Games medallist Damayanthi Darsha among a host of other athletes.  

He is also recognised for having held every major position within the Ministry of Education related to sports, including Director of Sports Education and Deputy Director of Sports.

Fernando, is a celebrated middle-and long-distance athletics coach reputed for transforming A. Ratnayake Central College, Walala into a national powerhouse in the sport.

Also as a former assistant director of education and physical education teacher, he has nurtured elite athletes, including Tharushi Karunaratne and Dilshi Kumarasinghe to name a few, with his trainees winning over 70 international medals.

However, the trio insisted that they had opted to back the candidacy of Wijayasinghe, without expecting any posts or perks in the new administration and with the sole motive of taking Lankan athletics to the next level while improving the lot of the competitors.

Alailima in particular was optimistic of the broader outlook for local athletes to regularly hold their own against superior athletes from other nations on the global stage or even best them.

He emphasised that the team assembled by Wijesinghe could deliver on their promise to create the necessary framework for local athletics to turn a corner.

The ex-ace thrower remarked it is due to that reason alone he had opted to come on board with Wijayasingha as opposed to the rival faction of Sunil Gunawardana.

Sunil Jayaweera when asked as to what had prompted him to jump ship from the opposition camp stated that he had done so due to purely policy differences and nothing else, while comparing it to regular occurrences in domestic politics.

Key personnel contesting the SLA election for the 2025-27 term from Bimal Wijayasinghe’s camp

President –  Bimal Wijayasinghe

Vice President – Jayantha Siyamudali, Jagath Gnanasiri Silva

Secretary – Madhawa Senarath

Treasurer – Rasika Nilangani

Source- The Morning