Susanthika who says that she will sell the Olympic medal to ease her mental discomfort!

Susanthika who says that she will sell the Olympic medal to ease her mental discomfort!

Susanthika Jayasingha who was successful in bringing honour to Sri Lanka by winning the 200 metres Olympic Silver medal has told last week's Sunday Lankadeepa newspaper that a crisis has occured in her life where she has to eke out her living by selling that medal at an auction. Before making that statement she has revealed at the discussion a list of things which she was not able to acquire and it is evident that her motive is to hurt
those who were involved in making her forego those things by saying that she wishes to forward the medal at the auction.

Susanthika has been bestowed a salary and a vehicle by the former regime and all that has been removed by the present government. Later she was granted a sum of 60,000 by the incumbent regime which however was stopped half-way after a time. Though Minister of Sports provided Susanthika with a position in recent times, she has not been provided a specific place for her to sit down and attend to her duties at the Ministry which incidentally is yet another distress of hers. She has also pointed out that not being in possession of a diplomatic passport either is yet another issue of hers. After explaining such matters, she has responded to questions posed to her, in the following manner:

"Though this Sports Minister has forgotten, I am a person who was involved in sports on behalf of the country for 20 years. Therefore I tell him once again ... he's an intelligent Minister ... he's proficient in many ways. If he thinks by using his intelligence, he'll understand accurately what I have said.

* How do you now live without that sixty thousand?

   When commenting on income ... actually there was finances that I had earned. Much of that money was spent for political purposes. At that point nobody helped me in a special way as such. So what I earned also was spent on an equal level. At a time when I am helpless like this I spoke to Secretary of Defence across President's Counsel Mr. Jayantha Dolawatta. Subsequently I was recruited on a contract basis as a short-distance coach of the Army.

* What do you hope to do?

   If sports authorities treat me on a low-grade level upto this extent, my only wealth is the Olympic Medal. I'll put it on auction.

* Put the Olympic Medal on auction?

   Yes ... what else am I to do?

* Did you inform the Sports Ministry about this?

   What to tell? I once spoke with those authorities. What they say is that they are in the process of contemplating establishing a sports museum. What I ask is whether it is the Sports Minister's medals that are going to be deposited there. I have the biggest medal in this country. Before it is given to the museum ... I'll sell it at the auction ... because before anything else I want to live with my two children.

* After putting the Olympic Medal for the auction ..?

   I'll go to Australia. A country like that will welcome me. I have nothing more left for me to do.

(Newspaper discussion: Prasanna Sanjeewa Tennakoon - Lankdeepa)

This is how Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera responded to what Susanthika said: see video below