A shocking courtroom revelation has exposed how ten Sri Lankan athletes turned the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England into their personal escape plan, leaving the nation with a financial black eye and taxpayers with nearly one crore rupees in losses.
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has officially banned ten Sri Lankan athletes from traveling abroad after they failed to return to the country following their participation in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka S. Bodaragama imposed the ban after considering a request made by the Special Investigation Unit for the Prevention of Sports Misconduct, which argued that the players’ desertion caused severe financial and reputational damage to Sri Lanka.
The Special Investigation Unit has already indicated that warrants are likely to follow against the absconding athletes. This action comes after the Director General of Sports filed a complaint demanding accountability for the disgraceful conduct. Investigations have confirmed that these individuals misused state resources by treating the Games as a free pass to vanish, undermining both national pride and international sporting commitments.
The players under scrutiny include Asela de Silva, Chamila Dilani, S Chathuranga, Y Nicklas, Ashen Rashmika, S Malintha, Sriyanthika Fernando, Sanjeewa Rajakaruna, and Jeewantha Vimukthi Kumara. They now face charges under Sections 5 and 6 of the Prevention of Sports Corruption Act, Act No. 24 of 2019, making this one of the most high-profile sports misconduct cases Sri Lanka has seen in recent years.
Out of 116 athletes who represented Sri Lanka at the 2022 Games, three wrestlers, two judokas, two boxers, and two volleyball players failed to return home. The blatant disregard for duty and responsibility has fueled outrage among both the public and officials. Critics argue that this fiasco not only embarrasses the country but also calls into question the selection process and monitoring mechanisms of sports authorities.
The court has ordered the Special Investigation Unit to report future progress to ensure accountability is not brushed aside. With investigations ongoing, the scandal raises questions about how deep-rooted mismanagement and loopholes in sports governance continue to allow such humiliating escapes.
Sri Lanka, already struggling with economic and governance crises, now finds itself dealing with yet another embarrassment where sportsmen traded loyalty for self-interest. For citizens, it is yet another reminder that corruption and misconduct do not stop at politics, but also stain the nation’s athletic arena.
