Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage yesterday (25) officially warned all sports associations and federations, that if requisite visa process applications and relevant documents, are not submitted to the Ministry concerned 21-days before departure for overseas competitions, such visits will be annulled henceforth.
He asserted that irrespective of whether such events are connected to Olympic sports or any other game, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under his watch, will not deviate from the said stance under any circumstance, with immediate effect.
“My Ministry has now firmly taken a stance,” he said during an event officially titled ‘Mission Olympics 2028’, held at the Duncan White Auditorium of the Sports Ministry.
The event was held to grant State-sponsored funds to 85 athletes and their coaches under four categories to gear them for the LA Olympics.
“That position is if the relevant documents are not submitted to our officials, three weeks before heading out for sports events abroad, we will not green light such tours and this is applicable to all sports associations and federations registered with my Ministry.”
He stated that the drama of submitting documents to seek visas and tickets at the eleventh hour, has to be stopped at any cost and insisted that all sports institutions will need to fall in line with the new regulation or such tours will be cancelled promptly.
“It’s the country’s image that goes for a six with this type of last minute arrangement,” the minister opined.
“We are not going to tolerate this nonsense any longer, and either they fall in line with our suggestion or forget about overseas competitions, and this will be applicable to all sports without any exception. And we will implement it to the letter.”
The minister maintained that his ministry will be enforcing the said regulation, even at the cost of losing out on any number of medals or any other glory to the country, as he wants to spare his Ministry officials from being unjustly blamed for such fiascos in future.
Gamage urged athletes present at the event to either force or exert pressure on their respective sports federations, to stick to the new regulation on time or warn them that if they fail to adhere to it, it could hinder their chances of success on the global sports platforms.
The minister remarked that athletes have been categorised into four tiers, having analysed each athlete’s capacity to excel in such globally reputed sporting events as the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, South Asian Games and Youth Games etc, ahead of formulating the new financial incentives.
According to him a tier one athlete will be entitled to a monthly sum of Rs. 150.000, while his or her trainer cum coach will be provided with a sum of Rs. 100.000.
A tier two athlete will be offered a sum of Rs. 100.000 per month, while his or her trainer cum coach will be entitled to a sum of Rs. 65.000.
A tier three athlete will be offered Rs. 75.000 per month, with his or her trainer cum coach receiving Rs. 50.000, while a tier four athlete will be provided with Rs. 50.000 with his or her trainer cum coach being entitled to a sum of Rs. 30.000.
He mentioned that all tier one athletes will also be entitled to an additional monthly sum of Rs. 60.000 as a nutrition incentive, with the total sum being Rs. 210.000 to boost their medal prospects at the next Summer Games in the US.
He added that the financial incentives have been backdated to April this year, and stressed that if certain athletes desire to train under globally reputed coaches, that facility will also be processed in due course.
Gamage insisted that athletes will be provided with a truly professional set up, so much so that they will not be able to complain of having to be employed elsewhere to fund their personal training in future.
“Their griping will now come to a halt. Things which they resorted to in the past, such as washing dishes in hotels, plucking coconuts, will now be history. This Government formed by the masses, will be looking after all your expenses from now.”
He however reminded the sportsmen and women, that without showing tangible results they will not be able to lay claim to the benefits mooted by the Government and noted that their performances will also be duly monitored.