Olympic Committee gymnastics

Wednesday, 29 November 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Going by the statements coming from officials of the Olympic Committee, it is clear that they have become politicians and not sports-loving individuals selflessly serving the cause of sports. It is the benefits they get that matter to them.

Our Olympic officials are always trying to hide behind high-sounding theories and references to the International Olympic Organization rules, etc. They talk as if democracy and fair play are the main concerns. They act like we are a mighty sporting nation.

In reality these officials pocket a lot of benefits and travel overseas as much as our politicians (with all the benefits). For some, the Olympic Committee is their main livelihood. According to them, the main issue is that some of our sporting bodies have not adopted some Olympic rules! Is this the only concern here?

Sri Lanka does not even qualify in most Olympic events. Even when we qualify, we are generally among the poorest performers.

The only good performers in our Olympic setup are the officials who go on for a number of years without any idea of retirement (just like our politicians). To add to that, our top officials are not even athletes (even former), having only qualified to hold office by playing social tennis or golf.

The Olympic Committee has no shame or no qualms. The sports-loving people of this country are being taken for a ride it seems.

Danushka De Silva