Mangala Samarakoon, competing in the 50 m rifle prone men event, will be the sole representative for Sri Lanka in the sport of shooting, at the London Olympic Games.
He picked up the sport in 2001 and over the years he has evolved into an excellent shot. His coaches, Brigadier K.W. Edema and Pushpamali Ramanayake, 3-time Olympic shooter and 1994 Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist, have played hugely supportive roles in his career and Samarakoon personally names them as the individuals who have had the greatest influence on him.
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| ‘Don’t give up, stick to your goal’ is Mangala’s winning motto. - Pic by Amila Prabodha |
He made a name for himself on the international stage when he captured a gold medal at the South Asian Games in 2006. It was after this achievement that he upped his intensity level in the sport. He competed in the 10m, 50m, and 3x40 events at both the 2010 Asian Games and the 2010 Commonwealth Games where he achieved great results, ranking 5th and 7th respectively. Furthermore, at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, Samarakoon scored 592 points, achieving the Minimum Qualification Score (MQS) of 587 for the Olympic Games without difficulty. It was his performance here that put him in a good place to receive the reallocated quota position for the Games.
Only athletes who have attained the Minimum Qualification Score (MQS) can enter into an Olympic shooting event. The MQS can be obtained only in qualification events at the 2010 and 2011 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championships, 2011 ISSF World Cups, and 2010, 2011, 2012 Continental Championships. As per every sport, there is a specific quota of athletes for the Olympic Games. This year, there will be a maximum of 390 male and female shooters competing at the Games. Within this quota, the maximum number of shooters that each National Olympic Committee can send is 28.
There are several cases in which quota places are not fully filled or used, in which case they can be re-allocated. This can happen in three ways: through an unused quota place by the International Federation, the Host Country, or a Tripartite Commission Place. These spots are re-distributed to the National Olympic Committees with the largest number of MQS athletes that have not yet qualified for a quota place for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka was awarded a re-allocated quota place by the International Shooting Sport Federation, and as a top shooter in this country, Samarakoon secured the Olympic berth.
He has an impressive history. He joined the Sri Lanka Army in 2000 originally for athletics. However, during military training, his talent for shooting was identified and he made the switch to the new sport. He is currently serving as a Non-Commission Officer for the Sri Lanka Army. Samarakoon is fully Sri Lankan trained with no overseas training camp experience. His upcoming representation at the Olympic Games is a feat that the whole country should be very proud of. He advises all aspiring Olympians to “not give up. Stick to your goal. Whatever the cost work hard to achieve it.” It is this strong will and sacrificial nature that has led him to success today.
Samarakoon’s future goals include obtaining an overseas training scholarship and then following a coaching programme in which he is able to give his fullest support to his fellow shooters. “I would like to help them improve their standards,” he says. As he seeks to bring fame and honour to his country, he draws inspiration from the words of Confucius, “Greatness is not achieved by never falling but by rising each time we fall.”Samarakoon will compete on August 3 at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
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