SAG is now ready, SL must go for an Express Schedule – NOC
NOC President Suresh Subramanuim insists that Sri Lanka must fast-track preparing for the Nepal games - File pic
Suresh Subramanium, the President of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC) stated that local sports associations must swiftly gear up for the South Asian Games (SAG), which is just five months away.
“The 13th SAG has now been confirmed, Nepal is ready and we have received the official invitation by now. The dates are December 1 to 10 and there is only a five-month period remaining. Local associations have already started training. Some other associations will start training in the immediate future,” Subramanium said.
“We must train under an express schedule as we have only a limited period. The National Associations and the Department of Sports Development must take responsibility for this. The NOC is only coordinating the events,” added Subramanium.
The 13th South Asian Games were postponed twice this year. It was originally scheduled to be held in March and later shifted to August, but logistic and structural issues led to its postponement.
The Sri Lanka contingent is expected to number 750 to 800 with officials.
The SAG is the premier regional sports competition featuring eight countries. It is a regional event similar to the SEA (South East Asian) Games. The inaugural SAG was held in 1984 in Dasarath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal September 17 to 23.
Initially it was called South Asian Federation (SAF) Games and later known as South Asian Sports Federation Games. It was at the Colombo Games held in 2006 that the event was rebranded as SAG (South Asian Games).
Seven countries participated in the SAG until 2004. They were India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Afghanistan was admitted as a new member at the Islamabad SAG in 2004. Both SAF and SAG competitions have been held during a span of 35 years.
Apart from Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan, all other countries have hosted the Games.
The SAG will be held in Kathmandu for the third time in its history, after staging the inaugural Games in 1984 and the eighth edition in 1999. Sri Lanka has hosted the SAG on two occasions — in 1991 and in 2006.
In the past 12 editions, India has won the most number of medals in total 2,046. Among them were 1,088 gold, 632 silver and 326 bronze medals leading the medals tally in every edition.
Pakistan is in second position overall having bagged a total of 1,128 medals. Sri Lanka occupy the third position for the number of medals achieved totaling 1,114. This includes 210 gold, 351 silver and 593 bronze medals.
In the history of SAG, Sri Lanka was dominant in athletics on one occasion during the Colombo edition of the Games in 1991. Sri Lanka’s athletes won l5 gold, 7 silver and 11 bronze medals ahead of India’s 10 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze medals.
The inaugural Games began with five sports — athletics, swimming, boxing, weightlifting and football. This year’s 13th edition of SAG will have 27 disciplines.
Sri Lanka won a total of 37 medals at the inaugural Games in 1984. It included 7 gold, 11 silver and 19 bronze medals. The gold medals came from athletics and swimming. The athletic gold medal winners were Simone Van Heer (100m Women), Ramani Mangalika (200m Women), Hemalal Priyankara (100m Men), Ruwan Chandratilleke (400m Men) and the 4x400m Men’s Relay team (Ruwan Chandratilleke, E.K.C Gunawardena, George Sunil Rodrigo and Ranjith Aluwihare) while Julian Bolling won two gold medals in swimming.
In the history of SAG, swimmer Julian Bolling is the leading gold medalist for Sri Lanka. He also holds the record for representing Sri Lanka in five editions of SAG from 1984 to 1991 during which he won 15 gold medals.