Sri Lanka pin main medal hopes on weightlifting

Sri Lanka are pinning their hopes of a medal in weightlifting

Chef de Mission Major General 

(Retd.) Dampath Fernando

22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham  

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

In the history of the Commonwealth Games that Sri Lanka has participated since 1938 they have won a total of 20 medals and 14 of them have come from weightlifting and boxing with seven apiece. So, it is no surprise when chef de mission of the 165-strong Sri Lankan contingent to the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Major-General (Retd.) Dampath Fernando said that Sri Lanka’s medal hopes lay in weightlifting especially in the women’s light weight category where they stand a good chance of winning a few.

“Honestly speaking our hopes are 100% on weightlifting (men and women) especially the women because in the low weight categories we have a chance. Looking at the past records we believe that they will do better. The chances of winning a medal in other sports are on the fence,” said Fernando.

However, with several of the competitors currently under training overseas Fernando did not rule out the possibility of some of them winning medals.

“Looking at the history of the Commonwealth Games we have a lot of hopes on weightlifting because they have won medals in the past. Boxing also provides an opportunity. The athletes also with this new guy Yupun (Abeykoon), we are hoping that he will create something because he is improving his timings. Recently he also broke a South Asia sprint record,” said Fernando.

“We have some athletes training overseas Yupun in Italy, one girl in Canada and the other in Japan, three wrestlers training in Hungary, a judoka in Slovenia and a diver in Melbourne. If they have done training really well, they can at least do something of significance. We are talking about 4,000-5,000 athletes taking part involving 72 member Federations. It’s very tough competition.”

The Sri Lankan contingent of 165 includes 114 athletes (54 males and 60 females), 35 team officials and 16 admin and supporting staff. Sri Lanka will take part in 15 disciples namely,

Open Sports

Aquatics (3) - diving (1 male), swimming (1 male, 1 female), Athletics (5) (2 males, 3 females), Badminton (6) (4 male, 2 females), Boxing (8) (5 males, 3 females), Gymnastics (8) artistic (3 males, 4 females), rhythmic (1 female), Judo (5) (3 males, 2 females), Squash (4) (2 boys, 2 girls), Wrestling (6) (2 males, 4 females).

Qualification Sports

Table Tennis (4) (4 males), Weightlifting (11) (6 males, 5 females)

Tournament Based Sports (Team Sports)

Basketball 4x4 (men and women), Beach Volleyball (4) (2 men, 2 women), Cricket (Women’s team), Rugby (males and females teams)

PARA ATHLETICS (1 man) 

Fernando said that the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka NOCSL are sponsoring the air tickets of 98 members of the 165 contingent through Commonwealth Games Sports and that the Ministry of Sports have agreed to sponsor only 20 tickets for some selected sports whom they think are medal prospects like athletics, boxing, weight lifting and wrestling.

“As Sri Lanka Cricket has also given a sponsorship to the Minister of Sports, they have a Sports Development Fund and from that the balance numbers have been sponsored. We have no involvement with that because the money has been given to the Minister of Sports. The food and lodging and transportation is borne by the Commonwealth Games authorities,” said Fernando. “We are straightaway going to Birmingham except for cricket. They have their own arrangements because they are spending their own money. They are coming to London from where they will travel to Birmingham.”

Fernando, who holds a postgraduate Level 7 diploma in sports management and exercise prescription from New Zealand, is on his fourth assignment as Chef de Mission, having served in the capacity at the South Asian Games in 2016 and 2019 and the Asian Games in 2018.

“I will be leaving on 21 July along with my team general manager and two other admin staff from NOCSL. We will be having a team delegate meeting on 23 July morning at 8 a.m. in Birmingham where we have to go and check all the accredited athletes’ details and then sign off. The first team of about 84 members will arrive on 25 July in Birmingham. Thereafter depending on the competition schedule others will arrive. The Games will go on for 11 days with the opening ceremony on 28 July and the closing ceremony on 8 August,” said Fernando.