The Hon. (Mrs.) Hiruni Wijesinghe, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker—Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees now presiding—today’s debate concerns the regulations under the Convention against Doping in Sport. We remember Sri Lankan athletes who brought fame to our country but lost medals and careers due to doping, damaging our national reputation. After serving bans, some could not return because their competitive age window had passed. Even minor lapses proved costly.

¶ 02 We cannot trivialize violations, though substances have moved in and out of lists over time. While such losses have hurt us internationally, we also have athletes who bring pride to the nation—so much so that some identify Sri Lanka as the country of Sanath Jayasuriya or Susanthika Jayasinghe. But because of doping, we risk losing a scarce stream of elite athletes; unlike large countries, we do not produce vast numbers in each event.

¶ 03 Therefore, the Ministry of Sports is implementing measures to protect national and international athletes. Recently, 900 schoolchildren who demonstrated outstanding performance were granted Rs. 10,000 scholarships, with continued applications open for others with talent. Sport and athletes are national assets. Previous governments did not treat them as such: grounds built without planning have decayed; swimming pools leak; some facilities are overrun by weeds or even elephants. The current Sports Minister is aware of these dilapidated indoor arenas. It is now the responsibility of the Government to restore and upgrade these facilities so our athletes and children can benefit once again.