The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the amendments to the 2013 No. 33 Convention Against Doping in Sport Act.

¶ 02 Doping has long existed, and as sport becomes an economic pursuit for nations and athletes, some increasingly use substances to secure wins. We must update our law to keep pace globally and ensure equal opportunity for athletes. As the Deputy Minister noted, sometimes athletes are doped without their knowledge by persons within their teams who are desperate for victory. Therefore, beyond the athlete, coaches and other complicit team personnel should also be punishable under the amended law.

¶ 03 Many athletes are unaware of the health consequences—legal bans aside, their future health can be harmed. These amendments will protect our sports’ reputation and support international success.

¶ 04 However, substance abuse is not confined to sport. In public transport, particularly buses, accidents have revealed drivers under alcohol and other narcotics. Drug use harms the economy and the future of our youth across multiple sectors.

¶ 05 When legislating and amending, we must ensure the facilities exist. Even for pre-participation medical fitness assessments now required for school and university athletes, many districts, including in my region, lack sports medicine specialists. Principals and teachers struggle to obtain basic fitness certifications for students within tight competition calendars. Health and Sports Ministries must address this gap.

¶ 06 We lack facilities to detect doping locally; therefore, international cooperation and capacity-building are essential—these amendments can facilitate that.

¶ 07 Drug seizures have surged within a year of this Government taking office. Powerful financiers and politicians are behind the trade, making eradication difficult. Media depictions in India caricature Sri Lanka as the “pearl of the Indian Ocean filled with drugs” and, separately, with “skulls”—reflecting mass graves in the North and East, and drug caches and modern weapons found in the South. This is a grave national challenge.

¶ 08 After the war, drugs were introduced at school level in the North and East, with various explanations—including, at the time, claims it was to addict youth and destroy a community. Recently, reports suggest similar school-level introductions in the South—what goes around comes around. If you truly seek a “prosperous country, beautiful life,” you must end the drug trade. Responsibility lies with Government and all citizens; we stand ready to support fearlessly.

¶ 09 In our regions, even district-level standard sports grounds are scarce; international representation from our districts is minimal due to the lack of physical and human resources, even 16 years post-war. Hon. Deputy Minister, please prioritize developing sports infrastructure and human resources in our areas.

¶ 10 Further, while new rehabilitation centres for alcohol and drugs are being established in the South, five such centres built in the Northern Province during the Provincial Council period remain non-functional due to lack of approved staffing, despite repeated requests. Though the Health Minister is not here, I urge that staffing approvals be granted so these centres can operate and provide rehabilitation.

¶ 11 Thank you.