The Olympic Games can be considered as the jewel in the crown of sports. It is the dream of all sportsmen and women to win a medal at the Olympics held once in four years. The 2020 Olympic Games scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan has been rescheduled for 2021 at the same venue.
It is great news for all Sri Lankans that a young and dynamic Sri Lankan has been selected as a technical officer for the 2021 Olympic Games to be held Japan. He is Sujeewa Jayantha Wijayanayake who lives in Japan. Youth Observer spoke to him about his remarkable achievement.
Q: Have you been appointed as a technical officer for the Olympics in 2021?
A: Yes. I have been appointed by the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee as a technical officer for the upcoming Olympic Games.
Q: Is it correct that your appointment is as a Deputy Technical Operations Manager?
A: That is correct. They have selected me as a Deputy Technical Operations Manager for the baseball and softball events. I am proud about it.
Q: Can you say something about your appointment?
A: Yes. I am glad about it. Japan is very famous for baseball and Japan is ranked as the No. 1 in the world of more than 100 baseball laying countries. There are over fifty thousand baseball umpires in Japan. Therefore, it is a feather in my cap that I was selected to an Olympic organizing committee. This appointment is valid till the Paralympic Games which will held after the Olympics.
Q: You are the only Sri Lankan to obtain such an appointment in the history of sport in Sri Lanka. What have you to say?
A: I can say it is a remarkable victory not only for me but also for my country. I didn’t achieve it easily. It was a long journey.
Q: This is good moment to look back at your sporting career. Can you tell us about your early days in sports?
A: I completed my primary education at Nalanda Boy’s School, Minuwangoda. Then I entered Mahanama College in Colombo and got involved with cricket. I passed the GCE Ordinary Level exam with nine excellent passes and entered Ananda College, Colombo. I started my baseball career at Ananda College.
Q: Did you have a special reason to select baseball?
A: Absolutely. I liked to face new challenges. Baseball was a new sport for me and I knew it is a national sport in the United States of America and Japan. So, I immediately selected that game. It was a lucky choice for me.
After leaving school I voluntarily started to coach the Ananda College team. During that period, I was involved in supporting baseball in various ways at national level.
I was seleceted as a Team Coordinator for the under-18 Sri Lanka Schools Baseball Team for the Asian Championship in Thailand in 2003.
I was also selected as a player for the Asia Baseball Clinic in Thailand in 2004 and was also selected as a Umpire for the under-18 Sri Lanka Schools Baseball Team for the Asian Championship in Korea 2005.
Q: How did you go to Japan?
A: My only sister was studing in Japan at that time. She helped me to join the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, a recognised university, in 2006.
Although I went for higher studies I did not lose my passion for baseball. I still have it. In 2007, I entered a baseball umpiring school in Japan. It was a new episode in my life. After one year I obtained a Primary Licence to umpire in Japan.
Day by day I improved at baseball and won recognition as an international umpire. So, now, I can umpire at Asian and World Baseball Championships as a qualified International Umpire.
Thus, I represent my motherland in international baseball.
Q: You went to Thailand at your personal expense to help the Sri Lanka team at the Asian Baseball Championships in 2009. This shows your strong passion for this game.
A: Yes, I went Thailand and Korea to help the Sri Lankan National teams. I was a student in a Japanese University. This is one example of my love for this sport.
But I also donated more sports goods for our players and took the lead to build a Baseball ground at Diyagama.
The present Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa gave that land to build it and Mahindananda Aluthgamage was Sports Minister at that time. In 2012, we finished building the first South Asian Baseball ground in Sri Lanka. The AZ Hotel Chain Chairman, Anami Yasuo who gave 8.5 million rupees to build this Diyagama baseball ground. The Japanese Embassy, JICA and Japanese well wishers helped to build this ground as well. We did lot of background work to build this ground and find thirty million rupees for the project. The Japanese government also helped with the project.
Q: You are working like the Japanese. How did you cultivate this in your life?
A: My family, schools and the Sunday school have helped to inculcate those good habits. My father is a former principal and my late mother was a teacher.
All of them taught me how to work with people and work for people. I am in Japan now but I will always love my religion, country and people.
This feeling was fostered by my family. Nalanda (Minuwangoda), Mahanama and Ananda Colleges polished my good qualities. So, it was not too hard to adapt to the Japanese way of life.
Q: We know Japanese schools and companies invite you to share your life experiences. Would you like to speak about it?
A: Yes. They believe that I have succeeded in my life. So, they invite to share my experiences.
Q: You also worked as a tourist promotion officer for the Japanese government?
A: The mayor of Beppu city gave me that responsibility. I worked with them and created a special plan to develop tourism in that city.
I completed a Tourism and Hospitality Management degree and I worked as an Area Manager for the Hotel AZ Chain and managed nine hotels.
Q: What do you have to say about our Sri Lankan youngsters? Are they very different to Japanese youth?
A: I believe Sri Lanka is one of the cleverest nations in the world. They can win any challenge. Our youngsters must have good guidance.
Now, we have a young Minster of Sports and Youth Affairs. He has a good knowledge and experience about youngsters and he was a National player in the Sri Lanka Rugby Team. I wish him all the best and like to work with him to developof Sri Lankan Sports.
Q: How do you find time to everything?
A: We have plenty of time to do our work but we need to manage our time properly. I pack in about fifteen hours of work per day working to a timetable. That is how we manage our time. You must never break the trust others put in you. This is how I lead my life.