Troubles not over for junior athletics team

by Reemus Fernando

A girl and two boys of Sri Lanka’s junior track and field team have tested positive for Covid 19 prior to their departure to Sri Lanka after the conclusion of the World Junior Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia on Sunday.

The team of seven which endured many difficulties before leaving for Colombia did well during the World Junior Championships with four athletes advancing from the first round and two producing national junior records. Now with part of the team returning positive results for Covid 19 they will have to undergo seven days of mandatory quarantine.

Sri Lanka Athletics sources said that Susantha Fernando, the manager on tour was remaining in Colombia to accompany the athletes undergoing week long isolation, while team coach Badra Gunawardena, the female official in the team was on her way home.

A source close athletics said that Gunawardena’s return without staying with the team would likely to cause trouble as Ministry of Education protocols require a female official to stay with the team when there are school girls in teams.

Sources also confirmed that four athletes who left Colombia on Sunday were not accompanied by an official. The four school athletes were to be joined by coach Gunawardena in Panama, their first transit.

The team remained uncertain of their participation in the World Junior Championship until the eleventh hour due to lack of funds. After media reported their plight sports authorities intervened. However undue delays in obtaining visas and unavailability of air tickets made officials to cancel the tour before a media backlash forced officials to make eleventh hour interventions to take the tour back on track.

But the eleventh hour intervention and flight delays meant that two athletes missed their pet events after arriving late in Cali.

However of the six athletes who took part in the championships four advanced from the first round and three reached personal best performances. Two athletes, javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga and 400 metres hurdler Dhanuka Dharshana established national junior records. Triple jumper and Pasindu Malshan and thrower Tharanga reached the finals of their respective events.

With three athletes and an official having to stay seven days in isolation the team will have to bear additional costs.