Sports
Ministry of Education continues to fail track and field sports
by Reemus Fernando
In England last year, a 12-year-old girl ran a five kilometer road race in a time of 16 minutes and 40 seconds to establish the world record of her age category. In Australia athletes as young as 13 years of age run 1,500 metres events at Athletics Australia All Schools Championships. But in Sri Lanka young children gifted with endurance abilities never see their talent being identified thanks to a stagnated competition structure persevered by the Ministry of Education. Though the knowledgeable individuals have proposed to include such events at Under 14, 16 and 18 categories to encourage endurance events on more than one occasion, they have fallen on deaf ears. The enthusiasts were hoping for positive changes to the track and field competition structure this year when the Ministry of Education commence competitions after a long hiatus due to the Covid 19 pandemic, but the latest circular streamlining schools sports has pathetically failed to introduce positive reforms to its track and field competitions.
The directors of sports of Zonal and Provincial level were introduced the new circular recently. But several Provincial and Zonal Directors of Sports have cited flaws and have requested immediate changes to the new regulations that are set to discourage endurance events and have negative effects on outstation athletes.
According to the new circular 80metres and 100 metres are the only track events for Under 14 age category and all events in the Under 12 and Under 14 age categories will be conducted as competitive events.
“If you take the results of these events at Zonal, Provincial and All Island level you often see the same athlete winning both events as this short distance will test only one quality, which is speed. You need to have a longer distance probably the 600 metres or the 800 metres to test endurance ability, said Sanjeewa Weerakkody, the coach of South Asian Games medallist Amasha de Silva when The Island contacted on this regard.
“Conducting them as competitive events for this age category is not the best idea as coaches tend to concentrate on specific training for the event leading to early burnout. You do not see many athletes who excel at this level making it to senior national level. That is one of the reasons for Sri Lanka failing at Asian level in athletics in recent times,” said Weerakkody who is also an Assistant Director of Education (Sports) of the Zonal Education Office, Kandy.
Anura Bandara, the coach of Olympian and Asian Games gold medallist Sugath Thilakaratne expressed similar sentiments questioning the absence of even a 200 metres for the Under 14 age category.
The Under 16 age category has the 800 metres but the 4×800 metres relay which was there from the inception at the Relay Carnival until three years ago has not been included though there were calls to do so. The long distance medley relay which was reintroduced to the Under 18 age category in 2019 has been scrapped again delivering a blow to the outstation schools who dominate the event.
“The athletes of Central, Uva and Sabaragamu provinces generally dominate long distance events. The absence of these events will deny opportunities for outstation athletes. Currently Sri Lanka is getting stronger in the 800 metres in Asia. Those school children who get encouraged by this new trend should be given more opportunities. Long distance relays are a must to promote it,” opined Susantha Fernando, the coach of several national and junior national record holders of long and middle distance events.
Fernando is credited for making Ratnayake Central, Walala the athletics stronghold of the country and has helped many a school children reach national and international level. However such veterans have not been consulted in formulating the new circular, though the coaches of other sports have been consulted in formulating new regulations regarding schools sports.
The 3000 metres event is competed worldwide in the Under 18 age category. The World Athletics Youth events and Asian Youth events include the distance event. Sri Lanka Athletics too conduct the distance track event for the Under 18 age category at its Junior National Championships. The Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association has the discipline for the Under 18 age category at its Senior John Tarbat Athletics Championships. Despite requests to include it the Education Ministry has not given though to include the event to the Schools games athletics championship.
An official of the newly elected Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association too expressed concern over the lack of interest shown by the Education Ministry officials to promote long distance events despite Sri Lanka winning its only Youth Olympic medal in history in such a discipline.
Paarami Wasanthi won a Youth Olympic bronze in the 2000 metres steeplechase in 2018 and a gold in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the Asian Junior Championships the same year when she was still 18 years old.
With the country celebrating its centenary year in athletics this year it would be only appropriate that the Ministry of Education give track and field sports the recognition it richly deserves and the knowledgeable people are consulted when taking vital decisions.
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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