At 87, all he wants is to run

A talented octogenarian’s dream of representing his country at the Asian Athletic Championships in Bangalore appears to be slipping away from his grasp due to lack of funds, stemming from our perception of ‘old age’

They offer him wheelchairs, lenses and anything for ill-health, but 87-year-old Wissahapurage Jamis is not ill or feeble.

This senior citizen who in July this year won gold at the 20th Annual Masters’ Athletic Championship is only looking for some funding to make his way to Bangalore, India to compete at the Asian Athletic Championships to be held from November 14 to 19.

His yearning to represent and compete in the Bangalore games is such that the family has even sold the precious 35 bushels of paddy (one bushel is 21 kilos) they had been stocking up to sell when prices improved.

“To make some initial payments for the Bangalore games, we sold a kilo at just Rs. 10,” laments W. Nimal Weheragoda, son of Jamis, himself an athlete explaining that they suffered loku paduwak (huge losses).

The dream of this father-son duo from Udawela, Morahela in Balangoda to hold the Sri Lankan flag high may come to naught as time is running out for them as they struggle to find a total of Rs. 120,000, in an era where some Lankans bust up a cool million at the gaming tables or Rs. 50,000 on food and drink at a nightclub.

As the sole participant in the age category of over-85 in the July championships, Jamis bagged for himself the gold medals for the 100 and 200 metres running events, Long Jump and also the Putt Shot, while Nimal won the silver medal for pole-vault and the bronze medal for the 400-metre hurdles.

With Sri Lanka expected to face a sharp rise in the aging population by 2020, even in 2006 it does not seem to be geared or at least looking into the needs of the elderly. The general misconception among both government officials and non-governmental organizations, testimony in the case of Jamis, seems to be that the elderly need support solely for medical needs.

What of the other support to promote their ability to contribute to society? What of the encouragement required for them to lead a dignified life and maximize their potential?

Jamis, a humble farmer born on June 11, 1919 in Udawela, seven kilometres from Balangoda had never indulged in sports. Learning to read and write at the school close to his home called those days the ‘Pirimi Iskole’ now Morahela Bandaranaike Maha Vidyalaya, he studied only up to Grade 4, leaving his books behind to help his family in the rice fields.

Having gifted his paddylands to his six children, Jamis and wife Baby Kajuwatte, 80, still live in the maha gedera tending to their pepper creepers and coconut trees in their home garden.

“My father never ever waits for a bus. He walks to wherever he wants to go even if it is five km away,” says Nimal, 45, who is a teacher at Wikiliya Maha Vidyalaya, explaining that it prompted him to enter Jamis in 2005 to participate in a 5-km walkathon, along with 100, 200 and 400 metre running events where he secured gold. “In his age group which was over-85, there were about three or four people who took part,” says Nimal who actively encourages schoolchildren to take up some form of sport and also Scouting.

Entering his father for four events (once again 100, 200 and 400 metre running events and Putt Shot) at the Bangalore games, he himself has taken up the challenge of the 800-metre running event, the 400-metre hurdles, the five-km walk and the pole-vault.

Thus began the search for the money to take them to Bangalore in November. Nimal has been on a mission, pleading with people to help them both realize their dream. “My father worked at Sanasa, earlier a co-op bank, as a branch Treasurer for 52 years. It was all voluntary work, without him taking a cent,” says this desperate son showing photographs of Jamis being felicitated by Sanasa over and over again for his work and also a plaque indicating that a Sanasa branch had been opened at Morahela in 2003 by him.

“We approached Sanasa. They promised to find us the money to go to Bangalore but three weeks later we were told that they will only be able to give my father ‘pocket money’,” says Nimal adding that even the People’s Bank with which his father dealt with for over 50 years as Treasurer of the Sanasa branch has replied in the negative to their appeal for funds.

The Social Services Ministry when approached had been very specific. “Abala dubala wunoth udaw karannang,” they had assured him. They had said they would help only if his father is ill or impoverished.

They have got only Rs. 20,000 from the Sports Ministry of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council and about Rs. 5,000 from well-wishers.

And as October nears the end and November comes close, time is running out for this father-son duo, with their dream rapidly moving farther and farther away from their grasp.