Money for officials, nothing for players

By. Susil Premalal

May.05 (Mirror Sports) - Sri lanka’s boys and girls who skipped Academic Studies Deprived of Competing at Asian Volleyball as Ministry says no funds for the National Sport.

Sri Lanka had enough money to fund the passage of 32 officials for last month’s Beach Games in China, but not a penny for a contingent of boys and girls to contest the Under-18 Central Asia Volleyball Association (CAVA) Championships. 

The Sports Ministry has told the boys and girls who underwent intense training preparing for the championship in Uzbekistan from May 12 to 18 to stay back as there is no money to fund their passages. 

The Sports Ministry doled out Rs.70 million for the Beach Games and said at the last minute it did not have Rs.20 million for the Youth Volleyball championships. 

Officials of the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation (SLVF) said the players had been selected on the instructions and supervision of the Ministry of Sports and the tour had received the necessary approval from the National Sports Council (NSC). 

The Ministry later refused to allocate the required funds for the tour where Sri Lanka will be represented at its National sport of volleyball. The SLVB had estimated the total cost of the tour, including air tickets, accommodation and other expenses at Rs. 20 million. 

The sudden decision has left school athletes and their parents deeply disappointed, especially as residential training had been ongoing since April 7 in preparation for the competition. 

Parents expressed frustration over the situation, stating that they would not have allowed their children to sacrifice academic activities for training if they had been informed earlier about the funding issues. 

They also blamed the negligence and inefficiency of officials for the outcome. It is reported that the players had spent their family funds on passports and other preparatory arrangements, further compounding their disappointment. 

Training for the tour had been conducted at the Kotawila National Sports Complex in Matara. Additionally, officials had raised expectations among players by providing guidance and assurances on the tour.

 The touring contingent was to include, in addition to the players, six coaches, two team managers and a female official in charge of the girls’ team. 

The withdrawal marks a significant setback for Sri Lanka’s youth volleyball development programme and denies young athletes the opportunity of international exposure.