Incheon deserters blacklisted
While the South Korean Police are on the hunt for the two Sri Lankan athletes, who jumped from the Games Village of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on two separate occasions, the Sri Lankan sports authorities have made arrangements to blacklist their travel documents according to athletic sources.
The two Sri Lankan athletes, Wasantha Rathnapala who went missing a day prior to the closing ceremony and Prasanna Dissanayake who disappeared from the village hours prior to the Sri Lanka team’s departure home bound, still have seven days until October 19, before their valid visas expire, to come out clean.
Prasanna Dissanayake (not in picture) was a part of the Sri Lankan hockey team in Incheon
But both being members of Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Army respectively have been branded by their establishments as deserters after brining disgrace to their country.
The President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Sri Lanka, along with a strongly worded letter to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka, has submitted the travel documents of Rathnapala and Dissanayake to the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka, which results in both passports being blacklisted worldwide.
“It is kindly submitted that two athletes who were part of the Sri Lanka team at the 17th Asian Games in South Korea have abandoned the ‘Games Village’ (where they were duly accommodated) on October 5 and the matter had been promptly reported to authorities concerned as per the directives of the Organising Committee of the Asian Games,” the letter states.
“The passports were under the custody of the team managers and accordingly all details pertaining to the passports have been furnished to the South Korean Government for strict action against the two athletes. As these two athletes have brought dishonor and disgrace to the country, it is very much appreciated if necessary action is initiated to arrest them immediately and award them the highest possible punishment,” the letter goes on to say.
When contacted by the Sunday Times, Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando, the Chef de Mission of the Sri Lanka team for the 17th Asian Games held in South Korea, confirmed that the NOC has taken appropriate measures to bring the two runaway athletes into custody.
“Looking back into the history, there were indications and all 80 athletes were under strict surveillance throughout the stay. Appropriate precautionary measures were also afoot and none of these athletes looked suspicious of fleeing from the clan. These two athletes have travelled representing Sri Lanka at previous international meets and there was no reason why they could have been treated as novices. But unfortunately it happened eventually, giving Sri Lanka a black mark,” Fernando stated.
Wasantha Rathnapala
International media reported that a total of seven athletes have gone missing from their respective Asian Games delegations which includes Rathnapala and Dissanayake from Sri Lanka, three from Nepal and one each from Bangladesh and the Palestine. The Police are in search of the seven athletes who were thought to be looking for employment illegally in South Korea. But unconfirmed reports say that at least 15 to 17 athletes have gone missing though seven cases have been taken up as confirmed.
South Korean authorities believe that the missing athletes have been prompted to runaway for greener pastures after mingling along with their native countrymen who came to support them at the Asian Games.
“We believe they’ve gone missing with the intention of finding work in South Korea. There must be brokers or people they know who are helping them out. The immigration office has already gathered information and sources, so they are conducting the investigation and we are giving them support,” an official spokesman of the Incheon Police was quoted as saying according to foreign reports. Rathnapala, a Voluntary Special Service of Sri Lanka Navy was one strong member of the beach volleyball team while Dissanayake, a Regular member of Sri Lanka Army represented Sri Lanka at hockey.
Incidentally hours prior to Rathnapala’s disappearance his spouse has given birth to their first baby back in Sri Lanka at the Ragama Hospital while Dissanayake’s wife too is expecting their first child. This incident adds up to many such that has taken place at previous occasions when athletes from poor and average financial backgrounds went missing at international events.
“I was given responsibility of handling 80 athletes out of which 15 won gold and 15 won bronze in cricket, a team game. In addition 12 represented at Rugby and brought pride to the country. An athlete almost won the bronze medal. Overall over half of the team brought credit to the country considering the performance of the last Asian Games where we had to return empty handed. In general the behavior and conduct of all the athletes were well appreciated by the higher authorities but these two gave a total twist to the effort by vanishing. Considering the incidents occurred in the past, the authorities have made the correct measures to prevent such acts in the future,” Fernando added.
The last of such occasion occurred when a member of the Sri Lanka cycling team went missing at the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow months ago. In 2004, a group of 23 athletes disguising as members of the Sri Lanka Handball team went missing during a tournament in Germany, whereas the game was not even introduced to the country.
The two Sri Lankan athletes and five others from Nepal, Bangladesh and Palestine will be eligible to stay in South Korea until October 19, before the special visas issued for the Asian Games expires. Rear Admiral Fernando further stressed that Rathnapala and Dissanayake will have the option of surrendering themselves to the Sri Lanka Embassy in South Korea before the deadline and both could be flown in back to their native country with emergency travel documents. But both athletes will face the risk of being impounded by their respective military establishments after being branded as deserters the moment they touch Colombo.