Athletics: Chaos at South Asian Junior Championships

Sports Minister Faiszer Musthapha has directed the Secretary to his Ministry to suspend the services of Director General of Sports H.M.P.B. Herath for failing to facilitate accommodation for Sri Lankan athletes participating in the South Asian Junior Athletics Championships which started on Saturday (5) in Sri Lanka and will end on Sunday (6). 

The local contingent was housed at the athletes' hostel in Torrington where they underwent misery with no electricity or water for more than twelve hours due to a transformer repair. 

They were later transferred to a nearby hotel on the Sports Minister's instructions. 

Secretary to the Ministry Jayantha Wijeratne has appointed an Additional Secretary to conduct a full-scale investigation and submit a report by Tuesday (8). 

“Till then, we have instructed him not to engage in any official work,” said Wijeratne. 

“I have given instructions to the Additional Secretary to do a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for the mess up. We will take appropriate action accordingly." 

A Sports Ministry media release states that the Director General of Sports, who is in-charge of the Torrington hostel, had failed miserably to perform his duties and was ordered to be suspended with immediate effect. 

With 84 players and 15 officials housed in the said facility, there had been an unbearable stench in the dormitory and from the toilets. 

“There was no power since 10 in the morning and until around 8 in the night," an athlete said. 

"They kept saying they are getting a generator. Even though the power was restored later in the day, what was generated was not sufficient to work the water pumps. So there was absolute chaos. But they did not even allow us to leave." 

When the issue was finally conveyed to the minister, he asked his officials to shift the entire contingent to a nearby hotel. 

While many criticise the role of the Director General of Sports, under whose purview the facility is maintained, the competency of athletics officials who organised the event has also been called to question.