Commonwealth Games: No new shoes or shirts, we can't afford that, say crisis-hit Sri Lankan athletes

BIRMINGHAM - The huge jump in petrol prices in Sri Lanka had threatened to derail Ruchira Fernando's sporting dreams.

A litre of 95 octane now costs around LKR 540 (S$2.08), almost three times what it did a year ago, the artistic gymnast shares, leading to kilometres-long queues outside petrol stations amid an economic crisis.

So instead of a one-hour drive to training five times a week, Fernando, 22, switched to taking the train - a two-hour commute - to practice sessions at the Torrington Gymnasium in Colombo.

In a way, he is more fortunate than women's 3x3 basketball captain Chalani Perera who has to walk almost 20km from the bank she works in to her home and then to training.

According to reports, the Sri Lankan government's foreign currency reserves have run dry, and it owes fuel suppliers about US$800 million (S$1.11 billion). A shipment of petrol and diesel arrived in July with a bill of about US$587 million, but there was only US$125 million in the bank.

With commuting made difficult, schools have been closed and half-day power cuts have been ordered to preserve fuel.

"It's so tough now in Sri Lanka," said Fernando, whom The Straits Times met on Monday (July 25) on a flight to Birmingham where the Commonwealth Games are held.

"Everything has become more expensive - rice, potatoes, onions, cooking oil... it's sad really, and many people are thinking of leaving the country."

Another Sri Lankan athlete, who declined to be named, told ST with a laugh: "Officials have told us not to run away and seek asylum here."

Naturally, sports is an afterthought under such trying circumstances, and the country's 110 athletes were told by their government to give up on participating in the July 28-Aug 8 Games.

Sri Lanka's chef de mission Dampath Fernando told The Indian Express: "The Treasury said they don't have money. Forget about it. We fell into a difficult, desperate situation."

But the country's cricket board, who are still in the black thanks to broadcast deals and ticket sales, stepped up to contribute LKR 22 million, which went towards covering flights, accommodation and competition attire.

Perera told Press Trust Of India: "We faced a great number of difficulties in getting here and now it feels really great that we are here."

Austerity measures remain though - instead of lavish designer costumes, the athletes trotted out at the Alexander Stadium in basic tracksuits for Thursday's opening ceremony.

Dampath said: "We are going with bare minimum… we are issuing only three t-shirts, one tracksuit and one bag to each athlete. Other than that, nothing. No new shoes, no new shirts… we can't afford that. But we will make sure athletes are comfortable."

For now, at least, the likes of Ruchira, Perera and sprinter Yupun Abeykoon - the first South Asian to run 100m in less than 10 seconds when he clocked 9.96sec at the Resisprint International meeting in Switzerland in July - can dream again.

Sri Lanka Rugby president Rizly Illyas told Rugby World: "We had the tsunami, we had the (civil) war, we had the (Easter) bombing... sport still brings the people together.

"The country is going through a crisis, but when you have a goal for yourself and the country like the Commonwealth Games, then it drives you. It puts a bit of fire in you."

Ruchira, who has been a gymnast since he was five, is thrilled to make his Games debut and perform in front of an international audience.

But a grim reality remains, as he added: "As much as I love gymnastics, and have been able to train in Italy for a year when I was 18, there are still no high-level facilities in Sri Lanka.

"I have to prepare for life after gymnastics, which is why I'm studying machinery now and hopefully find a related job overseas in the future."