Sports Ministry assures raise in grants, but NAs say otherwise
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will adopt new policies to its spendings on affiliated national sports associations and federations, clearly focusing on merits according to its Secretary, Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva.
Refuting assumptions and reports on a certain possibility of cutting down on grants made to National Associations (NAs), Dr. de Silva confirmed that the ministry indeed will up its spending on local medal prospects at international level. This will be mainly through the ministry’s High Performance Programme (HPP) initiated by the National Sports Council (NSC), then headed by former Sri Lanka cricket captain Mahela Jayawardena.
“There may be talks about the ministry cutting down on the usual grants to NAs. But the truth is, it’s the total opposite. We will grant more to individuals who have the potential to win medals at Asian, Commonwealth and Olympic levels. But there’s a protocol to follow, and NAs should take the lead to provide and accurate data and recommendations to the ministry,” stated Dr. de Silva.
Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva
He further explained that all affiliations have been duly notified of the ministry’s latest policies, but only a one-third of the total have taken the task with responsibility. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has an affiliation of over 60 NAs, with a handful of them being famously known to maintain its offices with less activities.
This practice of a few, has made life of many highly active and performing NAs in jeopardy, but the ministry, according to Dr. de Silva, will follow a ‘no nonsense’ policy on them, with a clear vision to support those who contribute to the country’s honour in sports internationally.
“Only 20 out of over 60 NAs so far have provided their work plans and clear recommendations on their respective athletes who should enter the HPP. The ministry will certainly keep its eyes open on other NAs and follow their activities as well. Our focus is on providing the necessary support to those who can bring glory to the country in sports,” he explained.
The HPP, initiated few years ago by the NSC headed by Jayawardena, had a level-based grant system, based on the athletes and sport disciplines rated according to performances at regional and global levels and global rankings.
As of late, the ministry has doubled or granted a higher monthly allowance from what they were earlier given with the clear intention being enhancing global achievers in sports.
“The ministry is clearly in the focus of nurturing them, and their respective NAs have a greater responsibility to support them by assisting us.”
In contrary, the ministry has embraced a clear and cut policy on its grants to NAs on foreign tours and trips.
“We have set a clear policy in supporting NAs and its elite athletes. This does not mean that the ministry will cut down its grants to NAs for other purposes. But any NA, who cannot provide data and recommendations to the ministry, clearly will have to face certain considerations and restrictions,” he warned.
This considerations, have already been put into act by the ministry has sent a negative picture on many sports teams who were and are engaged in foreign tours representing the country. Dr. de Silva explained that there will be ‘no cutting down’ on grants that were provided to sports teams, but there will be restrictions unlike earlier.
“The ministry will not, ever, block any representation of the country at any foreign event. But we certainly follow a criteria as of now. We will not grant funds to any team we clearly as merely ‘going just on a foreign trip’. We will never stop them from making the tour, we will provide the necessary documentation and other support, but monetary grants.”
“Not all NAs are in this category, the ministry still grants full support to those who have a clear plan and medal winning prospect. This policy will be solely based on the action plans and activities of the NAs. If an NA is in this status of being left alone, they should try and change it. It’s all up to them,” he explained.
However, according to informed sources, Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA), one of country’s top performing NAs, have been badly affected by the ministry’s latest policy. Sources close to SLA clearly told the Sunday Times that it has a busy schedule for the upcoming year with many regional and global commitments, and the Minister of Sports himself has instructed the Secretary at a common forum that NAs should find their own funding for such tours in the coming year.
“It’s no secret, our representatives were present at the meeting when the minister made the statement in front of the secretary that associations would have to find their own sponsors in the future. We understand that there is a financial crisis going on, but as an affiliation where would we turn our arms on to other than the caretakers of sports in Sri Lanka,” questioned the source.
In the recent weeks and months many sports teams were forced to abandon their foreign tours or international commitments, mainly following the economic crisis where NAs failed to even seek support from the corporate sector for sponsorships.