Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage has rejected claims by an athlete that he had not received adequate support, saying the athlete was already part of the national pool and was being provided with the equipment he required.
Referring to remarks made by the athlete in an interview with a television channel, in which he said he did not have shoes or a javelin, Minister Gamage said he had checked the matter personally.
“He is a child in our national pool, and we provide him with all the equipment he needs,” the Minister said.
He said some athletes were making statements suggesting they had no support and could not even afford basic sporting equipment, adding that such claims could create the impression that talented athletes were being neglected.
“If there is a genuinely talented child among you, particularly a child competing at national level, we will definitely help them. There is no need to put it on Facebook and collect money for shoes,” he said.
The Minister added that if an athlete already receiving government support claimed otherwise, “what they are saying is a lie.”
Gamage said the government was providing financial assistance to athletes under its “Mission Olympic 2028” programme, introduced as part of efforts to improve Sri Lanka’s prospects of winning an Olympic medal.
The programme was launched in April 2025, with a national pool established under the initiative.
According to the Minister, athletes in one category receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 210,000, while their coaches receive Rs. 110,000. Athletes in the final category receive Rs. 110,000 a month.
The government is also providing nutritional allowances, with around 370 athletes receiving Rs. 60,000 each, while around 1,500 schoolchildren receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000.
“We believe that we can win an Olympic medal at the next Olympic Games,” Gamage said. (Newswire)