Athletics maestro Prema Pinnawela honoured with Gold Medal

By Susil Premalal

In a rare and historic honour, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has awarded a prestigious Gold Medal to Sri Lanka’s veteran athletics administrator, Prema Pinnawela, in recognition of his exceptional service to both national and international athletics over five decades.

This marks the first time a Sri Lankan athletics official has received such a distinguished accolade from the IAAF, underscoring the immense impact Pinnawela has had on the sport’s development in the country and beyond.

The presentation took place during the closing ceremony of the 103rd National Senior Athletics Championship at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Diyagama. The medal was formally presented by the current President of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA), Major General Palitha Fernando, in the presence of national athletes, officials and dignitaries.

Pinnawela, who retired from active service, boasts of a 50-year career in athletics administration from 1973 to 2023. He served as the Secretary of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka for 13 consecutive years, from 1984 to 1997, and played a pioneering role in establishing the South Asian Games (SAG) in 1984. His leadership was instrumental in securing Sri Lanka’s hosting rights for multiple editions of the Asian Senior and Junior Athletics Championships.

Further enhancing his legacy, Pinnawela remains the only Sri Lankan sports administrator to have attended nine consecutive Olympic Games—from Seoul 1988 to Rio 2016—as either an official delegate or special invitee of the IAAF. He also served as an adviser to former Presidents and has invested his personal wealth in the welfare of Sri Lankan athletics and athletes.

His IAAF Gold Medal now stands as a testament to a life dedicated to elevating Sri Lankan sports to international heights.