Sri Lanka’s Only International Pool Going To Ruin

By Nirmala Kannangara

Development of water sports in the country have been severely hampered over the past one and a half years due to the closure of the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex (SNSC) swimming pools which are the largest pools in the country, The Sunday Leader learns.
The SNSC’s failure to release the necessary funds and directions to get the main and diving pools renovated has prevented  national water sports meets from taking place.
A disgruntled  parent told The Sunday Leader “The main reason we could not hold our regular meets was because there are no other pools that could match the SNSC pools. The main pool is the only facility in the country with a touch system time indicator.
Although we have had public and national swimming meets at the Ananda College pool, the final results could have had a lot of errors due to the non availability of the touch system time indicator.”
However Sports Ministry sources told The Sunday Leader that funding for the renovation has not been an issue but accused the State Engineering Corporation (SEC) of revising the original estimated cost during the renovation process last year.
“The SNSC has offered the renovation tender to the SEC. However they have revised their original estimated cost while repairing the leaks. Once a contract is given to a party they are not supposed to revise their charges. As a result of this disagreement the renovation work has come to a standstill and we are waiting for the Ministry’s intervention in this regard,” the sources added.
Disclaiming the Sports Ministry’s accusation, Chairman, State Engineering Corporation, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe told The Sunday Leader that the leak repairs had to be discontinued last November due to floods that badly affected the repair work.
“True we were awarded the Rs.3 million contract to restore the leaks. We started our work in September 2009 and while the work was in progress the floods that ravaged Colombo last November completely ruined the renovation work that caused huge damage to the pools.
Other than a certain section of the pool structure both the main and diving pools have to be re-done completely and the cost would certainly be more than the price of getting a new pool constructed ,” said Prof. Ashu Marasinghe.
Several attempts made by The Sunday Leader to contact Sports Ministry Secretary S. Liyanagama for a comment failed.