Two Sri Lankan archers go missing in South Korea

Two Sri Lankan national level Archery players who went to South Korea for expert training in the sport have gone missing in that country recently, it has been reported to 'Daily Mirror'.

The Sri Lanka Archery Association (SLAA) sent a team of five players and a coach for the training session with the approval of the Ministry of Sports. However, two players disappeared without informing the team management or other players as soon as they arrived at the South Korea airport.

The World Archery Asia Development Committee held the 2023 World Archery Asia (WAA) Challenge and joint training programme for athletes in the Asian region from August 21 to 25 at Wouju Koranju Archery Centre, South Korea.

Five highly qualified players from the Archery National Development Pool established by SLAA were selected to participate in the training session. Among them, two archers from the Army and Navy have gone missing in South Korea.

It has been learned that the two athletes in question have disappeared when the Sri Lanka archery team arrived in South Korea from Katunayake Airport and were travelling in the bus to go to the residential centre.

As a result only three players and the coach have participated in the Korea Archery training session.

To an inquiry made by 'Daily Mirror' about the disappearance of two athletes in Korea, SLAA president Roshan Kaluarachchi said, "Yes, it is a true incident. According to the report we received from the manager, the Director Sports Department of Sports Development, Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Navy sports authorities have been informed."

"Going to international matches or training sessions and disappearing in foreign countries is a very unpleasant incident. In order to avoid such incidents, we as an association have decided not to nominate players for such trips from now on. But it is a great loss from the side of the sport," the SLAA president added.

Meanwhile, 11 athletes, coaches and managers of the Sri Lankan team participating in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games in England went missing and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has failed to find any information about them until now.

This is regarded as the largest number of missing people in an international tournament in the history of Sri Lankan sports. Some sports analysts believe that the disappearance of the archery players in Korea is a consequence of the lack of action taken by the NOCSL and government authorities in previous incidents. (Susil Premalal)