Fitness education key ingredient of success, says champion powerlifter Ransilu Jayathilake
Fitness is one of the major requirements for a sportsperson. Unfortunately it has been an area where Sri Lanka has been lagging behind.
The incidents that took place after the national cricket team’s premature exit from the 2017 Champions Trophy, where then sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekera criticised the fitness levels of the players, could be considered a prime example for this prolonged problematic situation that has hampered the development of sports islandwide.
Champion powerlifter Ransilu Jayathilake who is armed with a wealth of over 25 years experience in the field as an athlete, as well as a strength and conditioning coach, raised concerns regarding the fitness levels among players and athletes across all sport.
“According to what I have observed, our fitness levels have declined over the past few years. Recently I worked with the national football and rugby teams. None of them wanted to focus on their fitness levels. All they want is to take part in competitions. They are neglecting their nutrition. Their diet plays a crucial role in maintaining fitness for an extended period of time. There are several areas that we have to improve if we want to bring glory to our nation,” he said.
He also highlighted about educating all professional sports personalities about how they need to spend their off season. “They must have a Sports Periodisation plan. During that time they have to develop their muscle power. If they want to compete against the best countries they have to improve their muscle strength. It will enable them to minimise the risk of injury as well,” he said.
Lifestyle is another important aspect that a sportsperson must develop. According to Jayathilaka, athletes should have the commitment and passion to make the country proud. They should always concentrate on developing their own performances on and off the field and at the same time they have to be role models for the future generation.
“During the national football training camp, head coach Amir Alagić noted that our fitness standards were very low. His priority was to develop the fitness levels of the players because they can’t play without the training process where a player should concentrate on the whole body. This was the first time I was involved in a successful training camp in Sri Lanka,” he added.
Another factor which is hindering the performance of our sporting teams is the effect of social media.
“Youngsters tend to get attracted to social media easily. As a result, they lack commitment and lose their concentration and then they will not be able to get the desired result. Until you come to a certain level you should refrain from using social media,” he said.
The powerlifting champion expressed his views about the situation that has hampered Sri Lanka’s prospects of winning an Olympic medal since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
“One of the main reasons for our inability to win medals is our authorities don’t know how to manage our players. So obviously we won’t be able to win an Olympic medal. Another reason is that we spend a lot of money to bring down foreign coaches. I don’t understand why they are not utilising our resources. We have a lot of qualified coaches who can lend a service to our nation. I hope that the newly appointed sports minister will take the required decisions to take sports in Sri Lanka forward. Another reason is the language barrier between the athletes and the coaches,” he said.
He also felt that lack of professionalism has hindered progress with only cricketers being considered as professionals. “That is an area which has to develop if we are competing in global events in the future,” he said.
He also highlighted the fact that players are not resistant to fatigue causing them to break down frequently. During the time he was in charge as strength and conditioning coach of national football and rugby teams, his main priority was to build at least five kilograms of lean muscle mass.
“We have seen a drastic change in their fitness levels and that has improved their performances as well. This applies for any sport. If the players are not resistant to fatigue, they tend to get frustrated and as a result of that it will affect their performances,” he said.
He expressed the need of a nutritionist who will monitor the diet pattern of national teams of all sports. The athletes and the players must have a basic knowledge of the amount of nutrients that they must consume for a day.
Expressing his thoughts regarding the future of sports in Sri Lanka, he said: “Until now I have been under several sports ministers and they had brought in numerous suggestions to develop sports in the country. But only a few of them were implemented. More importantly they have to protect the players and the athletes, since they are the assets of the country.”
It will be an interesting time for the people who wish to see sport in Sri Lanka reaching its peak. It is daunting task but if everything happens according to the script, there will better stories to tell in the coming years.