Parties unhappy and angered over selection trials and coach to Indian tour
The selection trials and the coach, part of Sri Lankan contingent, having left on Friday night for an Indian tournament, has attracted anger and dissent from parents and coaches. The tournament, the South Asia Regional Junior Championship 2022, set to start tomorrow in the neighbouring nation’s north eastern state of Assam, will have eight shuttlers, four each for Under-15 and Under-17 from boys’ and girls’.
Kamal Gamlath, travelling as the coach with the contingent, has come under much criticism for lack of credentials as he has not coached a school and only makes a personal coach. A former junior national coach complained trials were done in a questionable manner and assigning Gamlath also, is surrounded by controversy and nepotism.
“Parents and coaches say the modus-operandi of the trials and selecting the coach have been absolutely wrong”, said the coach on the condition of anonymity adding that, “the person (coach) who has been appointed is not even a school coach. He is a controversial character. He has not produced any prominent player”.
Complaints and allegations levelled against Gamlath also say other school coaches producing school-level have been denied and deprived, whereas this said Gamlath, has been sent on a joy ride.
“Normally, there is a committee (Coaching and Promotion Committee) to select the coaches headed by Deepal Madurapperuma. Suddenly, there was a post calling coaches for a meeting to pick one. Though they had held a meeting with six coaches or so, in the behind the curtains, Palitha Hettiarachchi (Vice President in charge of High Performance) and President Rohan de Silva have already decided their own Gamlath. Hence calling for candidates was only for the formality, namesake and paint a good picture. Whereas deep-down, the deal was already sealed along the nepotism lines,” he explained.
“We’ve a committee called the Coaching and Promotion Committee. They call for applications, have interviews, evaluate and recommend. After recommending, they send it to the General Committee, At the General Committee, it is finally approved. That is the procedure,” President de Silva explained of the procedure.
Sources also revealed, late on Friday, there had been a General Council Meeting. In there, the participants had questioned the basis Gamlath was appointed and sent. However, de Silva dismissed the claim and defended his appointment. Gamlath, coaching Otters Club, has been his stance. The five-day South Asian age-level meet concludes next Friday.