News

Harin rejects Tharushi’s Ireland visit

Published

5 months ago

December 13, 2023

editor

A request by the Institute of Sports Medicine to send Asian Games Gold Medallist Tharushi Karunaratne to Ireland for medical treatment was turndown by the Sports Minister Harin Fernando.

This was revealed by the Sports Minister at a meeting held at the Ministry office with representatives of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL), National Sports Association (NSA), National Selection Committee (NSC), National Sports Council (NSC) and the Institute of Sports Medicine.

In fact, the Institute of Sports Medicine had sought out permission from the Sports Minister and had requested to release funds required for Karunaratne’s medical and other expenses in Ireland.

Karunaratne was set to leave for Ireland along with her brother and a medical doctor and they had requested funds for their travelling, medical and accommodation expenses.

The Sports Minister further said that Karunaratne had never brought notice of her injury either to the Sri Lanka Athletic (SLA) or to the NOCSL.

It was a strange move by the Institute of Sports Medicine to send her to Ireland without making arrangements to send her to a renowned hospital like the Apollo in India or the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

The young athlete had never taken a MRI scan test in Sri Lanka on her injury and the expenses sought by the Institute of Sports Medicine became a questionable issue at the meeting.

It was also brought to the notice that Karanaratne is set to sit for her GCE (A/L) Examination on January 4 and had made arrangements to leave for Ireland in the second week of December.

At the conclusion the Minister directed Karunaratne to undergo a special medical test by a Special Medical Council.

Karunarathna came into the limelight when she clinched the Gold Medal in the Women’s 800m event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in October.

The schoolgirl from A. Rathnayaka Central College, Walala, overcame all odds and a star-studded line-up to finish the race with a time of 2:03.20s.

Tharushi’s success had a great amount of significance as Sri Lanka won an Asian Games Gold Medal after a lapse of 21 years.

Source – dailymirror.lk

News

Senior diplomat to oversee Sri Lankan embassy in Russia

Published

4 hours ago

May 19, 2024

nipuni

It is reported that the government has planned to send a senior officer of the foreign service to the Sri Lankan embassy in Russia until a new ambassador is appointed due to the lack of an ambassador.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Taraka Balasuriya has told the media that the absence of an ambassador is just a gap in the work procedure, and based on the current situation in Russia, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be directed to supervise its affairs.

He emphasized that a retired foreign service senior is being sent and the lack of an ambassador is not a major problem.

The Minister further stated that there is already a senior Foreign Service officer there, and given the urgent need, a very senior Foreign Service officer is being sent not because the officer currently in Russia is inadequate.

Mr. Balasuriya has stressed that this is being done to strengthen the operation and that the work will be done according to the normal protocol.

However, even though an ambassador has been appointed to Russia, Mr. Balasuriya has made arrangements not to reveal who it is to the media.

The former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Prof. Janitha A. Liyanage, was given three extensions, and she ended her service at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow on April 29.

At present, Counsellor Ruvini K. Munidasa serves as the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy.

News

Colombo air show and CADE 2024 exhibition postponed to next year

Published

14 hours ago

May 18, 2024

editor

The Colombo Air Show and Defence Exhibition (CADE 2024), initially set to take place from May 29 to June 2 at Galle Face and Colombo Port City, has been postponed to next year, according to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

The SLAF stated that the decision to reschedule the event was made in response to multiple requests from international partners, defence industry stakeholders, and foreign Air Forces. This postponement aims to enhance participation and provide a more diverse experience for spectators.

The rescheduled event will now be held from February 26 to March 2, 2025, coinciding with the 74th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

News

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar arrives in Sri Lanka

Published

14 hours ago

May 18, 2024

editor

The Global Peace Ambassador and Spiritual Leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar arrived in Sri Lanka this afternoon (18) for a three-day visit. He was welcomed at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake by State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon and Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman.

During his stay from May 18 to 20, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will participate in an event titled ‘Ekamuthuva: An Evening of Music, Meditation and Wisdom,’ which will be held at Taj Samudra on May 19. Renowned for his global humanitarian efforts and as a peace envoy, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is also an Indian yoga guru and the founder of ‘Transcendental Meditation’.