NOCSL Sec-Gen requests for cushioning system for smaller nations

National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka Secretary Maxwell de Silva has requested the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider a cushioning system to protect the smaller countries who are hoping to have athletes qualify for the Olympics this year. 

Despite the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19 causing concerns regarding the staging of the summer Olympics, the IOC on Tuesday said in a statement that it was committed to going ahead with the games and that there was “no need for any drastic decisions at this stage.”

However, with Olympic qualifying events being postponed due to the coronavirus, countries who cannot qualify through the full qualification system are in danger of not having athletes qualify for the games. 

During a video conference between IOC President Thomas Bach, deputy director of the IOC Pere Miró, and director of Olympic Solidarity and Relations James Macleod, and the NOCs of Asia, de Silva stressed that Sri Lankan athletes have already been hampered by the cancellation of qualification events.

“The present situation has presented many shortfalls for the smaller countries like Sri Lanka who find it a hard grind to qualify for the games without going through the full qualifying system. So, the organisers would have to think of some cushioning system for them. Our badminton players and weightlifters were at a tremendous disadvantage due to cancellation of qualifying events by the Ifs (international federations).”

NOC Sri Lanka Athletes’ Commission Chairman, Niluka Karunaratne also addressed the issue with regard to qualification events as most of the events are been cancelled and requested IOC to address this matter with fair treatment.