The Hon. Sugath Thilakaratne - Deputy Minister of Sports

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak in the debate on the Convention Against Doping in Sport (Amendment) Bill.

¶ 02 This Bill is implemented with the aim of making sport clean. It operates in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), under whose Code and Regulations the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Organization functions in our country.

¶ 03 Athletes sometimes resort to prohibited substances to enhance performance, to improve endurance, muscle growth, or to derive advantages in endurance sports like long-distance running and cycling, or in strength sports such as weightlifting. However, such use creates gross unfairness for athletes with natural talent. Doping can have serious adverse effects on the heart, lungs, internal organs, and the body generally. If an athlete tests positive, they may face bans ranging from three months to six years, or even be excluded entirely from sport, including loss of access to venues and competitions.

¶ 04 A doping test can be conducted in-competition or out-of-competition. Samples—primarily urine, and sometimes blood—must be collected under direct observation by authorized officers to ensure integrity. We currently lack local laboratory capacity to analyze samples; therefore, we send them to Malaysia or Qatar, which is costly and time-consuming. Delays can be unfair to athletes; for example, results sometimes arrive after a six-month sanction has already elapsed.

¶ 05 From 24 May 2011 to 25 May 2025, 67 athletes across sports have tested positive. Sports most affected include powerlifting, bodybuilding, athletics, cricket, rugby, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, cycling, kabaddi, and netball. Many athletes, sometimes unknowingly, obtain substances from the market. Commonly, only athletes are punished, while coaches or external suppliers often escape sanction. In India, both athletes and long-time coaches have been sanctioned. We aim to address this gap.

¶ 06 We are strengthening athlete welfare: providing Rs. 150,000 monthly allowances to national and junior squad members and extending support to their coaches for the first time, to reduce incentives to seek shortcuts. We are also conducting awareness programmes in schools and sports bodies about the harms of doping. By developing a sports economy and culture—leveraging global demand and overseas professional opportunities—we can bring foreign exchange to Sri Lanka. Sports associations must also carry out their responsibilities to facilitate athlete participation domestically and abroad.

¶ 07 Thank you.