Our country is famous for having wrong people in the right places. As a result, the educated intellectuals have left the country en masse for greener pastures, where they can make use of their talents and knowledge freely, without any interference, for the benefit of mankind. They are well recognised in those respective countries, quite contrast to the stepmotherly treatments inflicted upon them in their own motherland.
Athletics in our country is no exception. In a recent article, ‘Barrier Breakers’ in this newspaper (21st May edition) I read how a top-class athlete in the 1940s and 50s, Summa (Sumanthiran) Navaratnam, was not selected to represent then Ceylon in the London and Helsinki Olympics in 1948 and 1952 respectively. Decades ago our long distance running maestro, S. L. B. Rosa was deprived of representing our country in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He was barred even from running under the Olympic flag. A personal grudge cost an Olympic medal for the country?