Sports Ministry allocates Rs. 158 million for Paralympics contingent

Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa met Paralympic medalists Dinesh Priyantha Herath and Samitha Dulan Kodithuwakku yesterday

By Susil Premalal

The Sports Ministry and the Department of Sports Development has allocated a sum of over Rs.158m for the Sri Lankan Team, which participated at the 16th Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan.   

Secretary, Sports Ministry Anuradha Wijekoon revealed that Rs. 52m was allocated for their training, accommodation and business class return air tickets to Tokyo.

He further noted that a sum of over Rs.106m had been allocated as prize money and other incentives for the Sri Lankan para athletes.

The nine-member Sri Lanka Paralympic Team returned on Tuesday after having completed a successful Games’ where they won one Gold Medal and a Bronze Medal while setting up a world record in the process.
“It was a great effort from Dinesh Priyantha Herath to win a Gold Medal and for Samitha Dulan to win a Bronze Medal in the javelin throw event at the Games.”

But I am really disappointed that our able athletes were not even able to reach their personal best at the 2020 Tokyo Games concluded earlier,” Wijekoon said during the welcome ceremony at the Katunayake Airport. 
Meanwhile, the Sports Ministry has formed a 58-member elite national pool under the High-Performance Development Programme, initiated by the National Sports Council while targeting the major international events in 2021/22.

Each athlete of this elite pool will receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 100,000 in addition to a monthly nutrition allowance worth Rs. 25,000.

Breakdown of prize money
Rs. 50m to Herath and Rs. 20m to Dulan, Rs. 19.125m has been allocated for the coaches of the Paralympians, 4th to 8th place - Rs. 2.5m, 9th to 16th place - Rs. 1m (x4), world record - Rs. 10m.