Probe the tragic Susanthika saga

A poor girl in the isolated village of Athnawela in the Kegalle district is spotted by a sports officer of the Sports Ministry as a sprinter with talent. She is brought to Colombo and given good training . To help her with her board and lodging she is taken as a soldier into the Volunteer Force, being underage to join the regular forces. The girl begins to burn the tracks and in 1995 bursts into limelight winning gold medals at the South Asian Games. She becomes the fastest girl in South Asia. In 1995 at the Asian track and Games she beats one and all and becomes the fastest woman in Asia

Sri Lankans go into raptures, She becomes our Golden Girl. Then tragedy strikes. Vultures political and bureaucratic, begin to bask in her glory. There are rumours that she is being exploited in more ways than one .And then she fails a drug test given by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). Susanthika says that she had been prescribed certain drugs and a drug she had been taking on medical advice could have led to her failing the test. The country rises to her support. Hue and cry is raised and then she is reinstated and given back the medals she won.

In 1997 at Athens Susanthika proves she is truly world class . She wins a silver medal at the World championships, beaten to the first place only by a whisker. She comes back as a heroine Ð red carpets and roses all the way. The parasites are there basking in her glory. She is awarded $ (US) 30,000 for the performance by the IAAF but the payment is delayed. Finally she is paid only in Sri Lankan rupees unlike the cricketing playboys who get paid in dollars and pounds sterling. Susanthika cries out aloud.

Then her husband is arrested on a murder charge. Susanthika cries foul again.

She then fails an off season drug test of the IAAF conducted by Sri Lankan officials. She claims that the tests were not conducted according to international rules and her urine sample might have been substituted. After months, the hearing panel of the Sri Lanka Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) finds her not guilty. But this decision is revealed only a couple of weeks before the Commonwealth Games and she refuses to participate .

China and Singapore protest against the Sri Lanka AAA's decision and the inquiry is opened again.

She then goes to the Asian Games and wins her heat but pulls out of the finals citing hamstring muscle injury. Officials request that she takes part but Susanthika refuses. Rumours are afloat that she was ordered to leave the Asian Games village immediately by Sri Lankan officials. There are no smiling parasites this time to welcome home the poor girl. An inquiry is being instituted on her non participation.

Susanthika then tells The Island that she wants to go abroad. 'I have been harassed enough. I can't take it any more,' she says. She accuses the National Olympic Committee and top officials of the Athletic Association and the Sports Ministry for this harassment.

What a way to treat a girl who has brought fame and honour to this country as no sportsperson has ever done! Do other countries treat their sporting idols in this fashion?

Susanthika may have had her faults. But she is an unsophisticated girl unaccustomed to the skullduggery of supine bureaucrats, scheming politicians and parasites who want to gain mileage from her performances.

The first question to be asked is whether she was advised about the dangers of taking medicines which may fall into the forbidden category of drugs for athletes. An athlete of her potential should have had the best possible professional advice which the Sports Ministry could have provided. The off season drug test which she failed stinks to high heaven.She is first found guilty and later acquitted of the charges-all by our own AAA. And the results are told to her just two weeks before the Commonwealth Games! What would be the state of mind of even a sophisticated girl acquainted with the machinations of the powers that be, given this kind of mental bastinado treatment? We are well aware of the mental conditioning that is required of athletes and other sports persons facing stiff international competition. Did any one think what the thoughts of this poor girl would have been when she said that she was injured and could not run at Bangkok? If the allegation that she wanted to stay back a couple of days but was ordered out of the Asian Games village by a petty official is true, it could be cited as the most despicable way a sportsperson - a national heroine-could have been treated. She now wants to go abroad for her training and that is the best that could happen to her. Let a public fund be floated to help this unfortunate girl who has done so much for this country but been rapaciously exploited.

President Kumaratunga as a woman president should help Susanthika Jayasinghe. But first, let justice be done. She should immediately appoint a presidential commission of inquiry to probe the tragic Susanthika saga.Its an open secret that big names are involved and only a presidential commission may be able to do justice.