“Success has many fathers”

By. C. Vijitha Fernando

“Success has a thousand fathers, failure is an orphan” observed President John. F. Kennedy, minutes before he had to face the media on the doomed “Bay of Pigs” invasion of Cuba in April 1961.

Olympic bronze medalist, Susanthika Jayasinghe, became an instant success out of those who believed she was a failure. Her millennium Sydney Olympic Games win on Thursday afternoon will now find a “Thousand Fathers”- when in adversity and despair, she found only a handful to keep her mental and physical condition together and in focus.

It took 52 years for Sri Lanka to do it - when Susanthika mounted the medal ceremony podium on Thursday night to receive her bronze, millions of Sri Lankans around the world joyed in jubilation. She did it almost entirely on her own. To reminisce Frank Sinatra’s famous refrain, she can proudly sing “I Did It My Way”. Hours before she left for Japan in early September, and at the Sydney Olympic village, she was harassed and vilified by a core of despicable officials in an attempt to destroy her will to succeed. How cruel these so called sportsmen became and behaved!

Susanthika’s road to the medal victory was a dangerous and an arduous one. She was denied everything that a world class athlete of her repute would need to win that elusive medal that stalked Sri Lanka for 52 years. Cancellation and/or denial of sponsorships, athlete allowances and a host of other resources were virtually shut for her.

When Daham Wimalasena contacted Milinda Moragoda, former trustee of the Duncan White Sports Foundation, whose wife, Jennifer, President of the Foundation, appealed to get Susanthika a training stint in the United States, through the contacts of Duncan White Sports Foundation. The foundation cautiously considered the request. At the dinner hosted by Mr & Mrs Ken Balendra, the then President of the Foundation in March 1998, in honour of Mr. & Mrs. Duncan White and Mr. Lakshman Kadrigamar [Chief Guest at the 1997 Duncan White award ceremony], Duncan White stated that if Susanthika is put under a world class training program, she can make it to the finals in the 200 meters at the Sydney Olympics - “who knows, perhaps equal or better my medal win.” If she is to do that she must get that training now, and do it in the U.S.

Duncan White board member Chrysantha Perera undertook to discuss the porposal with his friends in Los Angeles for a possible training stint and was to contact world record holder and three time Olympic gold medalist, Carl Lewis’ Club, the Santa Monica Athletic Club. Daham Wimalasena, Milinda Moragoda and Chrysantha Perera, with the full support of the President and the Board of the Foundation, quickly consummated a contract with an Olympic medal winning coach, Tony Campbell, with the assistance of Chrysantha’s friends in Los Angeles.

It was the support of Dr. and Mrs. Walter Jayasinghe and a host of other Sri Lankan’s that got Susanthika going in Los Angeles, while all financial support from Sri Lanka were blocked or denied.

This writer kept a close contact with Susanthika and Tony, and also arranged for couple of thousand dollars to pay for her rent, etc.

Progress reports from Tony were available to the local media. Her many runs in Grand Prixs organized by Tony gave her that much needed international competitive edge to prepare herself for the big event, the Sydney Olympic Games.

Funds ran out fast on Susanthika in Los Angeles. Unable to meet her expenses of the scale of a World Class athlete forced her to return to Sri Lanka - and train in Colombo without a world class coach. She often told this writer, that it was impossible to practice “starts” a critical aspect of the 100 and 200-meter runs. She also complained that she had no funds to maintain her double-cab and since her sister also came to live with her family - funds became the only issue between a medal at the Olympics and survival. She told the writer that she also feared for her life-particularly worried getting maimed - and cited the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, figure skating episode in the US.

Killi Rajamahendra of the Maharaja Organization, a supporter of the Duncan White Sports Foundation, who gave of his luxury automobiles for Duncan and Angele to use while Sri Lanka, observed in 1998 that Susanthika is a determined athlete and her indomitable courage and spirit will not let her down and to mark his words “She will do well in Sydney” provided she gets an international training in the US.

Susanthika was separated between the sliver and the bronze by a mere 100th of second. Bahamnian silver medalist, Pauline Davis - Thompson ran in lane 2 and Susanthika in lane 6. With the exception of Marion Jones, in lane 4 and some 8-9 meters ahead of the field, showing her superb confidence, superiority and that she is in a class of her own, there were two others, also world class, between them. It would have been impossible for Susanthika to judge who was close - except that she should have thundered to breast the electronic tape - to make the silver. The five who breast the electronic tape were separated by a 100th of seconds. A phenomenal achievement by any standard.

When Duncan White won the silver in the 400 meters hurdles in 1948 at the London Olympics, few years after the devastating 2nd World War, there would have been no more than 5-8 world class metric quarter mile hurdlers, most of them coming from the United States. In the case of Susanthika’s 200 meters, there are more than 25 world class athletes competing in the 200 and any one of them would have made it to the final eight. For Susanthika’s luck, the second best American, Inge Miller, had to withdraw because of injury, gave that much need edge in the race.

Susanthika will only be 29 in 2004 for the Manchester Olympics. If Davis-Thompson can return to Olympic competition after 12 years, since the 1988 Seoul Olympics at 33 - Susanthika has an excellent chance to have a shot at the Gold in 2004. She must be given a scholarship to the United States and be trained under the coach of Marion Jones, just as Maurice Green did with Jamican Alto Dolden, who ran in the 100 meters.

Those who vilified and harassed Susanthika here, should all resign. The minister made an announcement that any medal winner would be given Rs: 10,000,000. This should be made available as quickly as possible. Those who got cars and houses for lesser feats of endeavour - Susanthika should be given a BMW 730i or a Mercedes-Benz 500, and a well appointed house in Colombo.

Additionally she should be given a full and unencumbered scholarship until the 2004 Olympics to pursue her dream of winning the gold in the 200.

Those sponsoring corporate entities should seize this great opportunity and brand themselves together, form a funding committee to ensure that Susanthika be sustained until 2004 and not become greedy to selfishly seek exclusive sponsorships rights.

In 1993, James Lanerole, Managing Director of the Upali Newspapers, Milinda Moragoda, Kavan Rambukwelle and Mohamed Muhsin, Vice President of the World Bank, Embarked on a slogan and motto to motivate aspiring Olympians to emulate Duncan White.

A logo was designed, it was: Duncan White Sports Foundation “Olympics 2000” with the Olympic Five Rings.

In 1994 the foundation withdrew the logo because the National Olympic Committee said that using the five Olympic rings was an infringement of the IOC trade mark rights. At the 1995 Duncan White ceremony, both Duncan White and President of the Foundation, Ken Balandra threw a challenge to all Olympic aspirants to make an effort to win a medal by the millennium Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Susanthika Jayasinghe did just that on Thursday September 28, 2000 in Sydney.

The President and the Board of the Duncan White Sports Foundation salutes Susanthika Jayasinghe for her intrepid courage and dexterity in winning the bronze at the millennium Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Bravo, Susanthika!

Susi Fan Club

The professionals whose expertise helped the Susanthika Fan Club to prove her innocence in 1995 by pointing out the chemical similarities of Nandralone and Primolut-N: President’s Counsel Eardley Perera; Government Analyst (Retd)A.R.L. Wijesekera; Sports Ministry Officials Dr. Githanjan Mendis, Dr. Charith Perera, Dr. Vimal de Alwis. Consultant Forensic Expert Dr. Hemamal Jayawar-dena; International Criminologist Dr. John Jayasuriya; Attorney-at-law ñ Dr. Lakshman Rasa-singha; Chairperson of the Susan-thika Fan Club - Anton Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka Turf Club officials

Following members were elected to the Committee of the Sri Lanka Turf Club for the year 2000/2001 at the Annual General Meeting at the Capri Club.

Mr. Dhammika Attygalle, Mr. Rajah Sinnathuray JP, Mr. Ajit Chitty, Mr. Bernard Hala-hackone, Mr. Jayantha Senanayake, Mr. Sirimevan D. Senanayake, Mr. Mike Mohamed, Miss Rohini De Mel, Mrs. Santha De Zoysa, Mr. Kenneth Jayasinghe, Mr. Shelton de Alwis, Mr. Indumini Weera-koon, Mr. Pemsit Sinnathuray, Mr. Bandula Wijesuriya, Mr. Neil Jayawardene.

From Storm to Stardom

We apologise for the poor resolution of this graphic.

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