Mr. Ranga Wimalawansa, an Asian gold medal winning athlete, said that he is asking all the sportsmen of this country to appoint Mr. Namal Rajapaksa as the president by the 21st without missing the great opportunity to appoint a sportsperson to the presidency of the country.
Mr. Ranga Wimalawansa made this request yesterday (29) afternoon while attending a press conference held in Colombo. Harjan Ratnayake, a 400m champion, Damayanthi Jayathilake, who won the Asian Netball Championship in his home country, and a group of athletes joined him in this press conference.
Athlete Mr. Ranga Wimalawansa also said.
“I am Ranga Wimalawansa, an athlete who won several Asian gold medals and represented Sri Lanka at the Olympics. For the first time, a sportsperson has come forward for the upcoming presidential election on September 21. We believe that if a sportsperson becomes the president of the country, it will affect the country’s sports.
If we take the Olympics this year, where are the countries with the most medals in the world, America, China, Japan? They are at the top in sports as well as economically. If the sport is at a high level, that country is also progressing economically.
The reason we are coming forward on behalf of Mr. Namal Rajapaksa is that he was a sportsman and as a sports minister he had a clear plan to raise sports in this country. Five synthetic tracks are to be built for athletics. An indoor 200 meter track and an international football stadium should be built in this country.
Every household has one or more athletes—anyone who participates in the inter-house athletics tournament. If there are small children, they play. Sometimes there are parents who are good athletes or sportsmen in other fields. Therefore, as players, do not miss the opportunity to appoint Namal Rajapaksa as the President of this country at this time.
If we thought that any of these sports including athletics, cricket, rugby, netball, football, volleyball, hockey and basketball would disappear in this country, we can hope that these sports will develop in the country under Mr. Namal Rajapakse.
We have confidence that he will create an environment in which international competitions of these sports will be held in Sri Lanka. Even so, the arrival of foreigners increases. The tourism industry is developing. A solution to the dollar problem is coming.
The fact that the leader of this country is a rugger leader is a big message to the world. We know very well that when Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was working as the Defense Secretary, the creation of walking lanes all over Sri Lanka was the idea of Mr. Namal Rajapaksa.
We are sure that he will not only help the country’s sports but also create an environment to keep the health of the people at a high level. We trust him more than other candidates. He played with us since he was little. We meet often. He is a person with leadership qualities to accept challenges. Therefore, we have confidence that Mr. Namal Rajapaksa will win the challenge of this country more than other candidates.
We say that if the country’s sport is lifted up, it means that the whole country is lifted up. Sportsmen are the division that can keep a nation happy. So today we made a start. If you are a sportsperson, please do not miss this opportunity,” said Mr. Wimalawansa.
