Gymnastics turn nasty, ends up in ’Police Custody’

In the absence of an organisation for accountability and responsibility, the Olympic sport has become a free-for-all in Sri Lanka

By. Callistus Davy

May.13 (Mirror Sports) - Sri Lanka’s gymnastics fraternity once a place of pride and decency has been turned into a hell hole of unsupervised treachery and disrepute offering a place for alleged shady activities that has resulted in the assault of a parent of a gymnastic athlete at the hands of a coach or official. 

The sordid incident took place at the Torrington sports arena in Colombo 7 on Friday where a Selection trial ahead of an Asian meet was held away from proper accountability. 

The Daily Mirror now learns that both the victim parent, a mother, and the coach or official had made complaints and counter complaints at the Cinnamon Gardens police. What is also of major worry is that there is no functioning or answerable administration for gymnastics which has been taken over by the Sports Ministry that has made matters worse in the absence of an elected body. 

It has also been reported that the circumstances that led to the alleged manhandling of the parent was triggered by what is being called “unfair selections” for reasons best known to the coach or official. 

Also under outside scrutiny had been the reported selection of overseas based Sri Lankan gymnasts ahead of local athletes that has infuriated parents that made one of them have the courage to take on the establishment, if there is one in place that could be held accountable. It has also being alleged that national gymnastics has become the domain of some coaches involved in business while also selecting athletes whose parents have cultivated alliances so their children can be picked ahead of others in the selection syndrome for Sri Lanka representation. 

Several past gymnasts told the Daily Mirror after hearing about Friday’s incident and the unfair selection of athletes that the main reason for the current freefor-all is the absence of media scrutiny the way sports like cricket and rugby are subjected. It has also been reported that while one section of the parenting tribe are opposed to the dark side of gymnastics, another faction whose off-spring find selection favour prefer to remain silent against objections over a Ministry appointed judge, technical officials and a referee. 

According to past officials, gymnastics has now turned upside down just like the sport itself in the country’s sporting set-up which has become the breeding ground for shady people while boys and girls have become victims of position abuse.