The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC Sri Lanka) hosted a special women’s celebration forum, ‘Her Journey, Her Victory,’ bringing together inspiring female athletes and key stakeholders to promote gender equity in sports.
The event featured five outstanding female athletes: Amasha de Silva (Athletics), Hiruki de Silva (Swimming), Chamodi Praboda (Cricket), Hansani Gomes (Weightlifting) and Ranithma Liyanage (Badminton) who shared their remarkable journeys of resilience, ambition and triumph in sports.
President of NOC Sri Lanka Suresh Subramaniam, emphasized the importance of empowering women in sports.
“When we empower a woman in sport, we empower a nation, because her victory is not hers alone; it is a victory for every girl watching, every young woman dreaming and every society that dares to believe in equality,” stated Suresh.
The presence of Sunil Kumara Gamage, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, as the Chief Guest was a highlight. In his speech, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering gender equity in sports.
“As the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, I want to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every female athlete in Sri Lanka has equal opportunities to train, compete and succeed. We are taking steps to enhance funding, infrastructure and support systems to create a more inclusive and equitable sporting environment,” noted the minister.
“Our celebrated female athletes have truly showcased the dedication and resilience required to excel in sports, from intensive training to the mental strength needed for success. We are thrilled to collaborate with athletes and NOC Sri Lanka to celebrate the achievements of Sri Lanka’s women athletes through Women’s Day program,” said Niloo Jayatilake, Chairperson of the Gender Equity Committee at NOC.
Discussions went beyond disbelief that the women athletes cannot progress beyond international level due to the treatment they receive from some of their coaches and officials in the administration.
Weightlifter Hansani Gomes said that if a woman who can conquer the world has a suitable safe environment, she has a lot of potential to progress in the sport.
“I don’t want to name them. How many talented women have left the sport? This needs to end. It is important to speak up for the rights of female athletes and truly ensure their safety,” said Hansani Gomez.
She made these remarks at a program themed ‘Her Journey and Her Victory’ held at the Olympic House under the patronage of Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage.
South Asian medallist Hansani Gomes, who made history as the only woman to win a Commonwealth bronze medal in weightlifting and four other emerging female athletes spoke at the event.
Amasha de Silva, a three-time 100m national champion and the fourth fastest woman in Sri Lanka, won a silver medal at the 2019 South Asian Games and reached the semi-finals of the World Junior Athletics Championships.
“I brought 4 South Asian gold medals in the under-20 age category. From there, I went to the World Junior Athletics Championships and later became the national champion. We did not have much facilities. I taught them the lesson that even if they have limited facilities, they can move forward if they have determination,” said Amasha de Silva.
National swimming champion Hiruki de Silva, who won the silver medal at the South Asian Games and represented them at the World Swimming Championships – She loved swimming since she was a child.
At one point, she qualified for the Budapest World Championship, but could not go due to a visa issue. It was a sad experience. But we should be able to move forward without wavering,” said Hiruki.
Fifteen-year-old Chamodi Praboda, who is progressing in cricket, is a player who caught everyone’s attention after taking 5 wickets in an under-19 match against England.
“After being selected for the under-19 team, I represented Sri Lanka in a World Cup and an Asian tournament in a short period of one year, I was able to show my talent with a world record,” said Chamodi Praboda.
