Sports Minister and Co-Cabinet spokesperson, Dayasiri Jayasekara yesterday said he would introduce a law which would prevent the sale or auction of any medal won at an international sporting event.
“The medal will be the property of the government, the athlete will not be allowed to sell or auction it. It is ugly to be selling medals,”Jayasekara addressing the weekly Cabinet briefing at the Government Information Department yesterday.
Former Olympic Silver Medallist and athlete, Susanthika Jayasinghe this week caused a stir when she declared that she would have to auction her silver Olympic medal as the Ministry of Sports was planning to stop the payment of her monthly salary.
“The government has invested millions in Susanthika up to and beyond the point she won her medal. When we came into power in 2015, she did not have a job. It was I who called her in an offered an advisory position within the Ministry,” the Minister said responding to her allegations.
He explained that in 2016, the Ministry offered her position as a consultant to their Talent Identification Programme for a monthly salary of Rs 60,000 and an additional fuel allowance of Rs 15,000 along with a vehicle.The programme was to go on until 2024 and cabinet approved her position up to 2020.
“When I handed her the appointment letter which specifically stated her job description, she said ‘oh I was paid Rs.80,000 earlier. Now you are giving me Rs.60,000’. We had identified her specific duties, she had to visit the 312 schools our programme was active in and meet 13-year-old athletes and look into their training, diet, health and injuries,” the Minister said.
Jayasinghe was also supposed to submit monthly progress reports and tasks she planned on undertaking in addition to yearly plans. In April of this year, the Secretary to the Ministry noted that she had not submitted a single report. This week, he had sent her a letter asking her to submit all reports.
“He simply asked her to send in the reports, he did not mention stopping her salary,” the minister said.
He further explained that as an advisor in the Ministry, she was considered a government servant who had to fulfil certain tasks attached to her job and could not simply draw a salary and not work, “Earlier, she was an advisor to the minister and thus got away with not working”, said Jayasekara.
“Susanthika has gone through a lot to get here, so what I wanted was to use that experience and talent to motivate the next generation of athletes. I have no personal anger towards her but I am disappointed to say that she is someone with little gratitude. The Sports Ministry has spent much more money on her than any of the other athletes who have won medals. I cannot help it if she cannot manage her own finances,” he added.
In addition to the Ministry’s salary, Jayasinghe is also said to be drawing a salary of Rs.60,000 from the army to help them train their athletes.
“The country at present does not have star class athletes who are good trainers. I asked her to be a trainer and the government will pay for that. She could be a very good trainer, but she is not interested,” the minister said.
He further asked her to auction her medals to the Ministry and that he would gladly take them.