Development plans and projects for the year 2022

Despite the ministry having been established to develop sport infrastructure at the end of the year 2020, there were no fund allocations to it for the fourth quarter of 2020. However, the budget for 2021 allocated a sum of RS. 3,000.00 million to the ministry and the above mentioned programs and projects were implemented by utilizing those funds.

The main objective of the ministry was to focus its attention on the seven special priorities denoted in the Special Gazette Notification 2187/27 and to design and implement programs and projects in line with them. Despite the ministry having been established to develop sport infrastructure at the end of the year 2020, there were no fund allocations to it for the fourth quarter of 2020. However, the budget for 2021 allocated a sum of RS. 3,000.00 million to the ministry and the above mentioned programs and projects were implemented by utilizing those funds. It is with regret that it is noted that the spread of the pandemic seriously curtailed some of the planned projects and presented significant challenges to others resulting in the inability of the ministry to mean some of its anticipated yearly targets despite yeoman efforts on the part of all involved in the sector from the ministry right down to the grassroots level.

It should be noted however, that the ministry’s performance was quite substantial despite the

year being one of the worst in history not only for the country but for the world as well with progress being made on all of the projects and a strong foundation laid for future activities.

Therefore it is with renewed hope and anticipation that the entire ministry is gearing itself to move forward with speed, commitment and efficiency into 2022 with focus on completing tasks that could not be completed during the preceding year. The completion of core tasks related to school and public sport grounds as part of its effort to establish an active and energetic generation will take precedence during the year to come.

The ministry has also identified the importance of obtaining clarity vis-à-vis sport in Sri Lanka and towards this, it will conduct a comprehensive, evidence based, research oriented assessment of the most critical areas of the sector and to conduct a national symposium based on the findings. In order to bring sport education to international levels, the ministry has already conducted the initial dialogue aimed at upgrading the National Sport Science Institute where educational programs are being currently conducted into a full-fledged national sport university.

Additionally, it is planned to conduct the full promotional and outreach campaign that was planned for 2021 but put on hold due to the pandemic in the year 2022. This campaign will prioritize key messaging that will encourage the general public to take up sport and to make use of the island wide development of public sport facilities. Towards this, the campaign will be created as a 360 degree effort with Above the Line (ATL) and Below the Line (BTL) elements that target both athletes as well as the general public.

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Institutions under the State Ministry of Rural and School Sports Infrastructure Improvement

The State Ministry oversees the operations of four institutes, namely, the Institute of Sports Medicine (ISM), the National Institute of Sports Science (NISS), the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) and the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority which together help it to carry out its responsibilities to sportspersons and the general public in the sport sector of Sri Lanka. The first three are the premier science based institutes in the sector while the last has the task of managing and optimizing the use of Sri Lanka’s biggest and best sport stadium and related infrastructure.