Medal winner at World Youth Olympics wonder girl Parami sees stiffer hurdles ahead

• Parami Vasanthi Maristella faced a stiff challenge from contestants from across the globe
• She enjoyed running on the beach

The parents expressed extreme rejoice over the victory of their daughter Parami Maristella - an emerging star from the Ambakandawila sea area. She enjoyed running on the beach with her sister as a little girl. Now she is able to compete at the hurdles event and won a Bronze medal at the World Youth Olympics, held recently in Argentina.

K.M. Parami Vasanthi Maristella (17), from Ambakandawila village in Chilaw, contested the 200m hurdles event at the athletic Championships of the Youth Olympics and faced a stiff challenge from contestants from across the globe.

Parami’s elder sister Nishanthi Dilhani, an undergraduate at the Sabaragamuwa University, is too an athlete. When she was practicing for school sportsmeets, little Parami also joined her as a means of providing her with security.

Rita Margrette Silva (43), the mother of Parami, lives on the beach and toils to earn and sustain the family. She sells the fish caught and brought to the beach by her husband K.M. Anthony Tudor Fernando (49), who struggles for hours at night with his simple canoe negotiating the rough sea.

The two sisters had opportunities to compete at international athletic Championships

Rita says that when Nishanthi Dilhani began to display her skills in athletics at the Ambakandawila School she was offered admission to the Kuliyapitiya Central as there were no facilities for sports at the village school. Parami also ran with her sister on the beach which probably helped her to achieve this success.

On a later stage Parami was also able to receive a scholarship to Kuliyapitiya Central due to her skills in sports. 

The two sisters had opportunities to compete at international athletic Championships thanks to the encouragement and assistance coming from the master in charge of sports at Central College. They had successfully performed at several such events.

Parami’s parents Rita (left/mother) and Anthony (father)

Struggle to survive 

Speaking about the skills of her daughters, Rita also mentioned about their struggle to survive.

“We have only a small house barely completed. That too we had to mortgage so that we could borrow Rs 250,000 from the rural bank. The house was about to be seized because there were unsettled loans amounting to Rs100,000. However a kind gentleman from Boralesgamuwa, now living in England, offered to settle the loan and redeem the house on hearing of the achievement of Parami.”

“Our house is about to collapse. After hearing of my daughter’s victory in Japan, on an earlier occasion, Minister Sajith Premadasa offered us some assistance to build a house.

“My husband goes into sea in a canoe and returns with few fish after struggling for hours. The money earned from selling them does not fetch enough income for a living.”

“If he has a boat and engine we can overcome these problems. North Western Fisheries Minister Sumal Thisera gave him a new canoe, but it needs an engine.It is very difficult for us to incur the travelling expenses of my daughter as she has to visit Colombo often for training.”

“When Parami won the Bronze medal she telephoned me and said that she would get the Gold in 2020. But she needs the assistance of people who are affluent,” said Rita.

(Courtesy Lankadeepa)