Chairman of the National Olympic Committee Hemasiri Fernando has accused a certain section of the media for indulging in a mudslinging campaign to discredit the NOC and tarnish the image of the country.
Fernando was responding to accusations made against him and the NOC by a daily newspaper that they had taken employees of the NOC at state cost for the South Asian Games held in Guwahati, India recently.
Fernando admitted that a few staffers of the NOC were taken for the SAG to work in the Operations Office of the Sri Lanka squad.
"This time there were over 700 Sri Lankan competitors at the SA Games and it was due to the commitment of these staffers of the NOC that the Lankan squad came in for praise as a disciplined team," said the NOC chief.
The Sri Lanka squad won a record 25 gold, 63 silver and 98 bronze medals at the SAG and at the closing ceremony the Lankan squad was highly commended by the organisers, according to Chef de Mission Maj. Gen. Dampath Pandula Fernando.
The NOC chief further stated that the 12 members of
the NOC played a vital role at the NOC Operations Office in Guwahati where they were responsible for providing traveling hotel accommodation, communication and processing of Identity Cards of the Sri Lankan contingent.
Hemasiri Fernando said that on earlier occasions too the NOC had provided staffers and volunteers to assist the South Asian Games squad and added "It is surprising that this year those with vested interest are attempting to sling mud at the National Olympic Committee.
He said that the Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekera had given permission to field a big contingent for the Games and had also made a comment to the effect that certain individuals were trying to create a rift between him and the NOC.
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