From the East comes Udayawani …..She could be an international level sports personality. If any good Samaritan elects to extend a helping hand to her, she might be Sri Lanka’s No.1 javelin thrower
‘Dhaangal’ a cinematic creation shows the efforts by a particular country to ‘make’ a wrestler win the sports world. Similarly ‘Marycom’, another film depicts how another country tries to ‘make’ a world famous boxer and how the media is out to protect her. This is how countries pin their future hopes in their sportsmen.
The tragedy in Sri Lanka is that so far nobody has taken notice of a village girl, Nagendra Udayawani of Trincomalee who won a bronze medal in the South Asian Games under 20 javelin-throwing event held at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo. The distance she covered was 39.12 metres. Either the authorities are in the dark or pretend to be unaware of her.
Udayawani is the sixth of a family of seven siblings. Despite their needy circumstances her father, a farmer by profession did not hesitate to give a good education to his children. Udayawani, a GCE (A/L) arts student at the Pittitidel M.V., Muttur is equally good in studies as well as sports.
She has brought pride to her school by winning a number of sports medals in her favourite javelin-throwing event. Dinesh Kumar and S. Vijayaneethan are her sports coaches. She travels 40 kilometres to Trincomalee for sports training. She became the first at the inter-sports athletic meet in the Eastern Province. The Trincomalee Athletic Association was her sponsor.
Although the Army and the Navy have invited her to join their sports departments, she has opted to pursue her higher education. She finds it difficult to continue her sports activities due to various reasons. As such it is time for the authorities to come to her assistance.
Udayawani says “Javelin-throwing is my favourite sport and many coaches have helped me to pursue it. For training, I have to travel 40 kilometres all the way from Muttur to Trincomalee thrice a week and this travelling alone amounts to 4 hours day. We are extremely poor, neither my school nor I are provided any sports facilities. Although javelin-throwing is my choice, I do not have a javelin of my own. I hope to represent Sri Lanka at the SAARC Games and break the present javelin-throwing record.
“My neighbours helped me a lot. The government nor any sports club ever extended a helping hand to me. The Eastern Province Sports Department never supported me. At times I feel sorry to see my poor parents labour day in and day out to support the difficulties in our lives. Yet I have to depend on them for my survival,” she sadly said.
Udayawani’s parents lament that their daughter is highly talented yet they do not have sufficient means to support her. Within a short period our daughter has achieved plenty in the field of sports, they said.
Eastern Province Senior Sports Officer, S. Vijayaneethan says “Udayawani’s future sports prospects seem to be bright. She does not have enough money to travel to Trincomalee for training. Some Trincomalee district sports organisation had rendered her help. She could be an international level sports personality. If any good samaritan elects to extend a helping hand to her, she might be Sri Lanka’s No.1 javelin thrower. In fact, several times I drew the attention of the Eastern Province Sports Department to her plight, but without success. This is one reason why Sri Lanka has failed to be the winner at any international games. Finally we hope authorities will certainly provide necessary assistance to sports personalities such as Udayawani in the national interest,” he said.
“Susanthika, Sugath Thilakaratne and Arjuna Ranatunga won their world of sports and in time to come Udayawani will follow suit.
People have to pay their debt to the country. I dedicate myself to bring glory to the country one day by winning a gold medal and thereby by settle all my dues to the country,” Udayawani said firmly.
- Text by Asela Liyanage Translated by K.D.M. Kittanpahuwa
