A sway to the side and the Gold rush was over

By S.R. Pathiravithana reporting from the Gold Coast

XXI Commonwealth Games

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Even after 20-years of competition,Chinthana wants to go on

Weightlifter and Sri Lanka team leader Chinthana Vidanage loses control over the bars in the Men's 77kgs event - Pix courtersy Thusith Wijedoru, NOCSL

It was a lion-hearted effort, but, lion-hearted efforts necessarily do not win medals. He thought like a champion and competed like one, but, at 77kgs the competition was far tougher than the ‘Gold’ winning 62kgs. Finally Chinthana Vidanage finished in the 5th place of that category at the Carrara Stadium arena, in the Gold Coast, yesterday.

May be had he aimed only at a bronze he could have succeeded, but, Vidanage just kept on going for the gold, thus at 168kgs Vidanage took the weight to stay in contention, but, swayed to a side and missed his step.

Clearly the contest was between the five contenders who took the five respective final positions. Satish Kumar Sivalingam from India, was a cut above the rest. May be, he belongs to a different class of contenders and when he made a successful Clean an Jerk of 173kgs to take the gold he was hardly sweating.

At the end of the contest a rather dejected Chinthana Geethal Vidanage said “I knew the competition was going to be tough. Though I finished with a total of 298, I kept practicing in the 300kgs range. That is the competition that required in this class. May be had I stayed 69kgs I could have pulled off a medal, but, I thought after 20-years being in the business I must let the younger colleagues take the lighter weights and as the leader of the pack to take the bigger challenge.

Indika Dissanayake won a silver medal in Men's 69kg weightlifting

“Still I have not decided exactly what my next step would be, but, one corner of my ego says that I keep training to take up an Olympic challenge. Yes, twenty-years is a long time but, my problem is even now I am enjoying what I am doing. I one of those competitors who train the hardest among us.

“Today, I had may be a premonition. From morning I was not feeling right and my intuition said that its not going to be my day. Even when I stepped on to the stage I did not feel myself. It’s hard to explain, but sometimes it happens to people.”

Meanwhile the newly elected NOC President Suresh Subramanium commenting exclusively especially on the performance of the Weightlifters men and women said “When I met them one thing that I noticed was the honesty in their eyes, that made a huge statement about their will to win.

“I always say that I am of the opinion that there are several types of competitors. There are competitors who make the grade, but all they want is to take part in competitions. Then there are some others they look for international meets for the certificates — this happens mostly among the elitist sports. Then there are competitors who have the desire to win, there priority is the country.”

He added especially sports like weightlifting, Karate, Judo and Taekwondo to name a few the competitors come from small beginnings and their agenda’s quite different to those of others. They that have the fire in their bellies.

Subramanium added “I must say to have the levels at this heights, something right in the sport has been happening, but, remember that when it moves to the Asian Games level standard become more competitive and that is where we must help them reach higher standards. We have to continue with the programmes that were implemented by the game’s authorities and the officials of the NOC.”

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