Sri Lanka’s gymnastics community is in uproar after the sudden suspension of national coach and Olympian Ranjana Taranga, exposing deep corruption, conflicts of interest, and ministry-backed conspiracies that threaten the nation’s sporting future.
Sri Lanka’s gymnastics fraternity has been left stunned by the abrupt and controversial suspension of national coach Ranjana Taranga, a respected Olympian and the driving force behind the country’s top gymnasts. On June 20, Taranga received a suspension letter with no explanation. By June 23, he was transferred to the Bandaragama Sports Complex, a venue without any gymnastics apparatus, effectively sidelining him from his athletes.
The timing of the suspension, coinciding with the finalisation of dates for the National Sports Festival, has raised suspicions of foul play. Parents and officials fear this move is designed to sabotage preparations for upcoming international competitions, including the Youth Olympics and the World Championships, where Sri Lanka had pinned its hopes for a breakthrough.
“This is a crime against sport,” said one distressed parent. “A coach who produced Olympians is now being paid a government salary to sit idle, while his athletes are abandoned.” For years, Taranga provided high-performance training at the Torrington Indoor Complex, home to Sri Lanka’s national gymnastics pool. His sudden removal has thrown the entire training program into chaos.
The Sports Ministry’s explanation that the transfer was “temporary” and pending inquiry has been met with skepticism. The official letter carried no such clause, making the decision appear arbitrary and irregular. No inquiry, no charges, and no show-cause notice were issued violating standard procedure.
At the heart of the controversy is another gymnastics coach attached to the Sports Ministry, who stands to benefit from Taranga’s removal. This coach reportedly enjoys the protection of a powerful official at the Department of Sports Development, whose son is a gymnast at Royal College. Allegations of conflict of interest have grown stronger as the same ministry coach also draws a salary from Royal College while simultaneously being a government employee.
Shockingly, this coach has advertised classes at the Royal MAS Arena on Tuesdays, even though the arena lacks gymnastics apparatus. In reality, Royal gymnasts have been training at Torrington’s national facility, which is reserved strictly for national pool athletes. Yet the ministry has ignored these violations, turning a blind eye to blatant misuse of national facilities.
Insiders claim Sports Ministry officials have deliberately misled the Minister, risking his credibility and reputation. “This is nothing but a conspiracy to deny national pool gymnasts their rightful coach,” said a senior official. “The Minister has been misinformed, and if he does not intervene now, the entire sport will suffer.”
As the gymnastics community reels, one fact is clear: Sri Lanka’s athletes are the real victims of this bureaucratic power play. Unless the suspension is overturned and transparency is restored, the nation’s international gymnastics hopes could collapse, leaving lasting damage to both athletes and sports governance.
