By a Special Sports Correspondent
Sri Lanka’s sports have been disgraced of recent due to unpardonable events that took place in Australia and South Korea. First we got to hear about cricketer Dhanuhska Gunatilake’s issue where it’s alleged that he sexually assaulted a woman in Australia. In the incident that took place in South Korea a few days later the captain of the Sri Lanka women’s national rugby team went missing after the final day of matches.
Gunathilake’s incident is now being contested in a court of law and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is standing firm beside the player and offering him all the legal support to clear himself from the challenges he faces.
But where the female rugby player is concerned a national player going missing while on national duty amounts to a breach of trust or responsibility. Why? Because taking the players overseas for a tournament is a big investment from the side of SLR; hence the need for all the players to return home after the national assignment concludes.
This writer remembers a former Sri Lankan swimming champion being told very firmly by the Australian Embassy officials when he went to get his passport authorized that having returned to Sri Lanka during previous tours ‘down under’ was nothing to brag about. “You must return to Sri Lanka after your assignment in Australia and don’t consider it an achievement to return to base just because people do decamp” the official had underscored.
The player who went missing must understand that SLR invests on players when they pay for their training, book air tickets and incur other expenses when assembling a team to contest an overseas tournament. Most national players in the past have come from less affluent backgrounds and earned a better life through sport. Didn’t this female rugby player see this path?
Her incident could be the first of its kind where a Sri Lankan rugby player, regardless of being male or female and belonging to any age group or team going missing abroad after the completion of a tournament.
SLR is yet to release a comprehensive statement regarding this female player. The news associated with her is more about this player going missing and certainly not decamping. We also read in the media that the team management had lodged a complaint with the South Korean Police about the player going missing.
It’s interesting to find out the thoughts that preoccupied her mind during the tour because she had played in the matches and later showed up at a press conference after her team lost in the ‘Plate’ Championship final. Hence we are made to understand that she was in a good frame of mind to carry herself in public as a national ‘sportstar’ even after the tournament. That also meant she also wanted to be part of the team and be associated with the rest of the team members after the games. That also points out to the player having a sense of belonging. Where did she go wrong then?
There is one hitch though. Sri Lanka this time around contested under the National Olympic Committee flag and not the country’s flag. This was because Asia Rugby has suspended SLR. It’s interesting to locate the female player and inquire whether she had feelings of representing the country?
This is not the first time that Sri Lankan sports personalities have gone missing while touring abroad. We remember the great cyclist Boniface Perera decamping on his way back from an overseas assignment. Some of the other sports which are associated with decamping incidents- featuring Sri Lankan players- in the past are wrestling, boxing, beach volleyball and judo. Then there was that infamous incident when an entire handball team from Sri Lanka went missing after contesting a tournament in Germany. The Sri Lankan players did decamp when the economic situation back home was much healthier compared to what it is at present.
Sportsmen and women not only here but elsewhere in the world love fantasy. There are so many of them who have worked hard at junior level and earned their passage to immigrate on their performances alone. There are many examples of sports stars moving away from their fantasies and embracing reality later on. All over the world great performances at sport at junior level facilitates the legal immigration process. One such great champion was body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger who emigrated from Austria and settled down in America; going to be seven time winner of the most prestigious physique contest the Mr. Olympia. He also became the Governor of California.
When the rugby teams from Sri Lanka went to Incheon, South Korea there was a huge goal set for the men’s team; which was to finish among the top four. The Sri Lanka men’s team finished fourth after losing in the Cup semi-finals and then contesting the 3rd place playoff against Philippines. In that last match the Sri Lankans lost badly with a score of 7 points against 24 by the opponents. We really don’t know what goal the management had set for the women players compared to the male players. Most of these male players are club players back home and have contracts with clubs which offer them a monthly remuneration during the domestic league, knockout and ‘sevens’ tournaments. The men’s league rugby tournament is about to kick off and it’s safe to think that the male players were eager to get back home. But what can we say about the female rugby players? What is the future they have in a Sri Lankan rugby set-up where they get such little exposure as featuring in an annual domestic sevens tournament and an appearance or two at the annual Asian Sevens Series? A few of these players might have lucrative contracts with forces teams, but does that talk much compared to the exposure that Sri Lankan men’s players get here and abroad? This female players is also from a country where its economy has crashed. Did the circumstances put the impetus on Sri Lanka women’s captain to go missing in South Korea and later seek employment; South Korea being a country where many of her country’s men and women have come before her to seek greener pastures and have something to show for their trouble and effort.
Only time will produce answers to these questions. This jolting incident has taken place when Sri Lanka is preparing for the final leg of the same Asian Sevens Rugby Series-this time in Dubai-and the upcoming domestic league rugby tournament.
