Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 5, 2023: The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka has presented a 10-year strategic development plan for sports in the island nation.
A three-member think tank - which was set up in February this year and chaired by NOC Secretary General Maxwell de Silva, programme consultant Professor Emmanuel Bayle and programme chief Professor B.L.H Perera - put forward the strategic plan for the next 10 years leading up to 2032 at a special general meeting held at the NOC Headquarters in Colombo last week.
“The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka set up this strategic plan so that the country can reach certain standards in sports in the future. Without a plan, we cannot make a real forecast and achieve our goals in a haphazard manner from year to year,” revealed Professor Perera.
“Our first step was to recognise where we stand today. We have looked at our sporting strengths and weaknesses, and from this point onwards, we have drawn up a plan leading up to 2032,” Professor Perera added.
All primary stakeholders in sports in the country were consulted, including athletes, National Sports Federations, the Ministry of Sports, the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency and the Institute of Sports Medicine, to get a thorough understanding of how things work.
“We have carefully researched and gathered information and drafted a general framework based on five pillars that will help us move forward,” Professor Perera pointed out. “We know our strengths and weaknesses, and have looked at the opportunities before us as well as the dangers.”
One of the main features under the new strategic plan is the concept of Centres of Excellence to be set up throughout the country. Sport working closely with other sectors like tourism, education and health was also a key step going forward.
The Sri Lanka NOC’s aim is that this blueprint has been designed to ultimately bring medal success for the island-nation at the international level.
