Athletics: Waidyatilaka invited for Gold Coast as ITO

P.H.D. Waidyatilaka, the only International Technical Official (ITO) for Athletics in Sri Lanka has been invited to officiate as an ITO at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia to be held from April 8 to 15. 

Officiating at Commonwealth Games as an ITO is nothing new for Waidyatilaka. But what is interesting is that he is no more in the IAAF panel of ITOs yet he has been invited to officiate as an ITO at the Commonwealth Games. 

When he received the invitation from the International Association of Athletics Associations (IAAF), the world body for athletics to present himself for the ITO examination in October, 2017, he politely declined the offer as he felt that he will only be able to work for a year or two the most and that he didn’t want to deprive another from entering the ITO panel for the next four years. 

The IAAF, ITO exam is held every four years and a limited number of Technical Officials are selected. Normally about one-third of the existing ITOs fail the exam and are replaced by new ITOs. 

In October, 2017 only 32 ITOs passed the exam five were nominated from the IAAF staff and the Technical Committee. 

Waidyatilaka of course had the privilege of being in the ITO panel from the inception of the scheme in 2001 and coming on top in Asia. 

Incidentally this time 12 candidates from Asia faced the competitive exam and only one passed. 

This is the sixth consecutive Commonwealth Games Waidyatilaka will be officiating. 

In 1998 he officiated at the 16th CWG in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia followed by the 17th CWG in 2002 in Manchester, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia, 2010 in New Delhi, India and in 2014 in Scotland, the UK. 

In addition to being the ITO he was appointed as Technical delegate by the IPC for the Para events at the CWG 2014. 

It was indeed a great honour for Sri Lanka that the only IPC qualified ITO for Sri Lanka was bestowed the honour of being Technical Delegate which is the highest position a Technical Official can achieve. 

A product of Richmond College, Waidyatilaka is a former Public Schools, Junior Nationals and University of Ceylon hurdles champion and had the privilege of officiating at all major athletics championships including Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World University Games, Commonwealth Games and IAAF Diamond League.