The Sri Lanka Army is one of the leading institutions that contributes to the country’s sports by nurturing sportsmen and women and providing other services. While its sportsmen engage in almost all competitive sports, athletics is undoubtedly the leading sport it takes part in.The Army nurtured Duncan White and Susanthika Jayasinghe, the most successful (Olympic medalists) athletes the country ever produced, at the beginning of their careers. The Army is also continuing to be the leading employment provider for the country’s emerging sports talents. It celebrated its 50th anniversary of athletics recently.
In an interview with The Island Army Commander Daya Ratnayake elaborated on the Army’s future plans for sports on new year’s eve.
The Army conducted several side events to coincide with its 50th anniversary in athletics and credit for its success was due to the Army Commander’s guidance. Ratnayake said that the key battlefield elements that helped the Army win the war inspired him to conduct these important events, specially the exhibition and felicitation ceremony to back sports.
"These are elements which society should be involved in and inspire the people of this nation. When we go to war what soldiers expect is appreciation. When the soldiers go out to battle this is what they expect. That was what happened this time. When involved in an exercise, it is not confined to a single individual or one organization. It is a collective effort and the entire nation was behind the soldiers. Likewise, the entire nation should be behind the sportsmen if they are to succeed. In military terms, there are three main factors that contribute to the success of war. The conceptual element, moral element and the physical element. When all these three elements synchronize it is possible to achieve one’s objective. In the past, we couldn’t win the war because these three elements did not synchronies as they should have. In the past, the government was going in one direction, people were going in another direction and the soldiers were isolated and left alone in the battlefield. This time everything revolved around a new leadership. I thought we should get all those to support sports and this book launch, exhibition and the felicitation ceremony were part of this exercise," said Ratnayake.
At the helm of SLAA
Being involved in sports as an administrator in the Sri Lanka Army, Ratnayake won many admirers and many hoped that he being at the helm of the administration in the Sri Lanka Athletics Association too, would benefit the sport. Asked whether he achieved set targets during the short stay of one year at the SLAA he said "I operated on a priority basis. We could not achieve everything since we were there for a very short period. During that short period, we had the Junior Asian Championship, which was a big challenge. We conducted it well. There were a few other challenges which we overcame. Actually, even at national level, we were planning to hold things like that to felicitate former athletes and officials but we could not do that.
Inquired as how the officials of the SLAA reacted to his proposals of conducting a felicitation ceremony and other side events to motivate athletes he said they were welcomed by officials.
"Almost all reacted in a positive manner. But things were not moving as in the Army. I should state that, comparatively, it was not at the speed necessary. In the military, you tell something to somebody and it happens. You discus, develop a plan and implement. We have that culture in the military.
Some of the people who were behind the scene in athletics were taken up by when he decided to head the SLAA, but he suddenly withdrew from the contest for the post of president.
" It was not actually a withdrawal. The previous president too came forward to contest the post, so I did not want to make a military combat there (smiling). I knew that I was to be appointed as the commander. I knew that with the responsibilities I was going to shoulder it would be very difficult to run another very important organization, the Sri Lanka Athletics Association. Considering all these I decided at the last minute to quit contesting.
Some of the top posts of sports associations are held by the Army, Navy and Air Force officials. When they suddenly give up those posts that affects the association. "We being military officials, we give priority to our primary job. We know that it affects the association but that can’t be helped. We opt for the primary job," noted Ratnayake.
There is a good number of retired sportsmen of the Army who have the knowledge on the subject they mastered. Asked as to whether their services being made use by the Army, Ratnayake said "we always get the veterans to participate at Sports events of the Army. Last week, we felicitated two former volleyball players at the Army Volleyball Championship. We obtain their services. We often conduct workshops with their support. And are willing to request the services of those retired athletes. We are always willing to get their support. One of our top athletes, Major Sarath Wijesinghe (in Australia) will be here for six months. He will be coming to Sri Lanka in January and will stay with us for six months. He will train some of our athletes and will be working with our coaches during that period. Likewise, we have been conducting workshops and seminars, not only in athletics in other sports as well. Veterans come and interact with our athletes.
Recruiting athletes from North and East
As of late, there are athletes joining the Army from the Eastern Province, but that does not seem the case as far as Northern Province is concerned.
"People are still somewhat reluctant to come forward. We have one athlete from Vavunia. This time we are trying to take a few athletes, specially some pole-vault athletes from Jaffna. We are also taking sportsmen from other sports from Jaffna and Mullaitivu. We are speaking to them, but they are somewhat reluctant. From Batticaloa, we have taken basically an entire basketball team from St. Michaels’ College, recruited to one of the regiments. In the Northern Province, apart from athletics, we have recruited some handball and soccer players. The process is slow there. But we are conducting programmes. We are helping in conducting rugby programmes. The Sri Lanka Rugby Union is doing that and the Army is helping. We feel encouraged by the enthusiasm shown in the Northern Province. With these programs within the next two three years we will be able to see athletes joining the Army and the other forces. We are helping the boys and girls in the Northern Province. If they are not willing to join the army, let them be trained to succeed in that sport. We have a programme called reconciliation through sports. Through that we have provided a large number of coaches and other personal to train rugby, handball and athletics. We have given whatever assistance required by the civilians to develop in sports, especially in the North and East," explained Ratnayake.
Training of coaches
The Army seems to reach out to civil coaches to train their athletes, since of late. To what extent has the Army progressed to upgrade the knowledge of their own coaches?
"It had been the case right throughout. Earlier, we had top coaches in the Army. In the recent past we have been getting the serices of good coaches with whom the athlete have been training. Some of them are paid for. Most of them are providing a voluntary service. When the athletes reach the national level we get the best coach available in the country in the particular sport to train them."
There is only a handful of qualified coaches at national level and they are in their twilight years. When they retire will there be any replacements? Upgrading the knowledge of coaches is long overdue and has the army identified this matter?
"This is a matter which the Sports Ministry should take up. From the military side, we are sending a fair number of our coaches to the sports institute here for programmes. We have a fair number of officials who have gone through these programmes. There are very good courses conducted by the Peradeniya University. A fair number of our coaches are following them. We send our coaches abroad for training. Corporal Dias was sent to Germany for such a training programme, recently.
Infrastructure development in sports
The Sri Lanka Army is involved in almost all sports currently played in Sri Lanka. Some of these sports are alien to these parts of the world. Being a country of just a few million people, it is arguable whether it is a worthy endevour to invest in all sports as it is doubtful whether the country could reach world standards in so many sports, simultaneously. Ratnayake assessed that the Army has rightly identified the potential sports to invest in.
"We have 35 sports in the Army. We have prioritized them. We are thinking beyond the Army, the national level. Since we are grooming the country’s top athletes it is our responsibility not only to train them to win national competitions, but also to be competitive at international level. Therefore, we are developing a master plan for that. That is almost complete now. To uplift and standards of athletes we have to develop facilities. In the Army, we have a serious problem as far as facilities are concerned. Though we have all those sports, we don’t have a single sports complex. Within the next year (2014), you will see the unveiling of an Army Sports complex. We are developing a sports complex at Panagoda which will be upto international standards. Plans are being finalized. In volleyball, our national sport, we have not been able to do well at international level. We have a solid set of players in the army. We have 17 teams in the Army. We will bring them up to a very good standard. Since we don’t have the infrastructure facilities we are developing infrastructure. Boxing, swimming, football, rugby and shooting are among sports that we can do well at international level."
"As a result of problems we had in the past we could not concentrate much on some sports. Now we have developed this master plan and have identified the sports in which we can do well at international level. Shooting too is one such sport."
Professional qualification for sportsmen
Lack of professional qualification for athletes make them helpless once they give up sports. After retiring they can’t stand on their own. Those who have not won medals and achieved success at the highest level find it extremely difficult to stand on their own. Some of them give up higher education for sports. But once they retire, they face problems with regard to finding a livelihood. Ratnayake was of the opinion that it was a case in the past.
"This was a case in the past we have identified what you are saying extremely well. A few years back, the Athletics Association of the Army started helping their athletes in this regard. If you take all the athletes in the army, most of them are following different courses of their liking. Whether it’s coaching, whether it is sports related or otherwise, according to their interests, are encouraged to follow courses. Specially for athletes, we conduct various programmes to improve their knowledge and develop their skills. So that they can turn those capabilities into professional qualification. So when they retire they have a career to pursue."
Asked to name a few such athletes who are following courses Ratnayake said that Chinthaka Soysa was one such athlete. "If you take Chinthaka Soysa. He is about to leave the Army. He may have done three, four courses. We don’t allow them to just wait. We encourage them to follow different courses. They follow courses at the Sports Institute and at Peradeniya University. In the future it will be for all sports. They have to select an area of their interest to pursue whilst getting involved in sports."
Education of young athletes
Young sportsmen giving up education to persevere a career in athletics or sports in the army is becoming a tendency. Young school goers who see a future in the army sometimes give up education after O/Ls to persevere a career. How can the Army help such athletes gain education?
"We have identified these things. Career development courses are a must even for average soldier. For sportsmen there will be special courses apart from soldiering there will be special programmes. We encourage education in the Army."
Facilities for marathoners
Almost all Olympic marathoners the country has produced had their basic marathon training in the army. Today most of country’s marathoners (in the men’s category) are from the Army. International marathon experience and training is one of the areas that the country had been lagging behind. Couple of years back marathon enthusiasts were looking forward for an International marathon that the Army was going to organize in Sri Lanka when Ratnayake was the head of the Sri Lanka Army Athletics. Due to some reason or other it did not materialize. Has Army got any plans for marathoners in particular?
"We have not given that up. We were trying to host a good international marathon, we faced some challenges we could not do that. During the April season in Nuwara Eliya we tried to do a half marathon. But we are hopeful of doing them. Marathon is one area that we can do well. We are going to do a great serve to marathoners and long distance runners by putting up a very good high altitude training centre. It is already being started. Army has the top ten leading marathoners of the country. We have almost 90% of the long distance runners. We are going to help them by putting up two high altitude training centres.
Most of country’s athletes train outside. During rainy seasons the grounds get muddied and there are no indoor training centres. That hampers training. The Army commander said that the Army has identified the problem and with the sports complex coming up the athletes will be able to use it for all kinds of sports training. "That will take some time. But we have started it. Land preparation has already started. The planning process is taking place. Renovating the gymnasium at Panagoda is already on. That had been neglected for some time. Within the next six months, we will be completing that. Within the next two years, there will be a sports complex in Panagoda. Athletes will be able to use it for all kinds of sports training."
He said that the sports complex will be completed with a synthetic track and the Army will utilise its own funds to build that.
Explaining the Army’s future plans, Ratnayake said, "we have a huge force of sports loving people in the army. Sports is one of the key elements in the army. We have developed a master plan for sports; that master plan includes comprehensive full spectrum development. Not just sportsmen and women. We have a huge problem of not having adequate infrastructure for sports. Infrastructure development facilities for sports around the country is a prerequisite. When we acquire the infrastructure facilities, the Army will have the capacity to do a great service to the nation." (Courtesy: The Island)
