Olympic gymnast Milka Gehani struggling without a local coach

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka's first Olympic gymnast Milka Gehani’s participation in international competitions have been hindered because local gymnastic authorities have not provided her with a coach.

Gehani is presently engaging in a second training stint in Japan's Tsukahara Gymnastic Centre under an International Olympic Committee (IOC) scholarship that runs till 2024.

During her first stint, Ranjana Tharanga was with Gehani in Japan, but he had returned to the island when her scholarship was extended, and has since been appointed as the national gymnastics coach.

Gehani, meanwhile, trains on her own under the tutelage of Japanese coaches.

Nevertheless, she is scheduled to arrive in Doha, Qatar on June 13 to take part in the 2022 Asian Gymnastic Championship from June 15 to 18 without a coach or manager.

The Asian Championship serves as a qualifier for the 2022 World Gymnastic Championship in Liverpool to be held from October 29 to November 6 but without a coach or manager, Gehani is likely to face many challenges and obstacles in order to qualify.

Her requests to local gymnastic authorities to provide her with an optional coach in the absence of her permanent coach have fallen on deaf ears.

The Sri Lanka Gymnastic Association Secretary Kapila Jeewantha told the Daily Mirror that they are trying to resolve the issue since her Japanese coach will also not be able to come for the Asian event.

Gehani, 19, has represented Sri Lanka since the 2016 Junior Commonwealth Games, Asian Junior Championship (2017 and 2018), Youth Olympic Games 2018, World Gymnastic Championship 2019 and Olympic Games 2021, and is a medal winning prospect in future international events.

Gehani has been selected to participate in Birmingham Commonwealth Games (July 28- August 8, England) and Asian Games 2023 (China).