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THEY TAMPERED WITH A URINE SAMPLE AND FRAMED HER UP IN A DRUG CHARGE AFTER SHE REFUSED SEX TO THE COUNTRY'S SPORTS MINISTER.
The Los Angeles Times reported in a story filed from Sydney that Olympic bronze medal winner in the women's 200 meter race, Susanthika Jayasinghe has accused Sri Lankan sports officials of framing her up in a drug charge by tampering with a urine sample to spite her after she refused sex to the country's powerful Sports Minister, S.B.Dissanayaka.
Written by Mike Penner , a Times staff writer , in the widely read Sydney Olympics special section the shocking news item said Susanthika "won the bronze medal in the 200 and bitterly waved the accomplishment in the face of the Sri Lanka Track and Field Federation ,accusing the federation officials of sexual harassment and duplicity surrounding her controversial suspension for a urine sample she believes was tampered with."
The widely circulated newspaper with sales over one million copies said "Jayasinghe became the first Sri Lankan to win an Olympic track and field medal since 1948, representing a national federation she has feuded with since a 1998 out of competition urine sample tested positive for steroids."
The newspaper wrote, "Jayasinghe has maintained her innocense all along , fighting a long legal battle that resulted in the charges being dismissed."
" The battle began , Jayasinghe said, after the man who is the sports minister (of Sri Lanka) wanted to have sex with me . I say , No I am married ."
"Jayasinghe believes," the Times said, " that incident led to Sri Lanka federation officials framing her after taking an out of competition sample in April 1998 and refusing to seal the bottle while she was present."
The Times added: "The test came back positive," said Jayasinghe , who contends the sample was tampered with."This makes no sense . I am a clean girl. I never failed any drug test before."
According to old Sri Lankan newspaper reports she was accused of taking nandrolone, the same drug C.J.Hunter is alleged to have taken..
" In 1999 , Jayasinghe moved to Los Angeles, where she trains with coach Tony Campbell. Then she vowed never to return to her homeland , but to compete in the Olympics , she first had to participate in Sri Lanka's Olympic trials."
"A reporter asked Jayasinghe why she hadn't changed her citizenship and run instead for the United States."
The Times said: " You can fix this?" Jayasinghe replied quizzically. "I don't have a sponsor. I don't have any money. I am from a small country."
"Today, Jayasinghe said the Sri Lanka Federation is 'crying. They gave me trouble, trouble, trouble. On October 2 , when I go back (to America) with the bronze medal , they are going to be sad."
Meanwhile in an apparent bid to calm down the controversy , described as damage control, the country's President Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who is facing a crucial parliamentary election at present, just after Susanthikas controversial press conference in Sydney offered the runner a scholarship for training in a country of her choice which will enable the medalist to cover the entire program inclusive of all costs of training ,traveling and accommodation.
S.B. Dissanayaka , the accused Sri Lankan Sports Minister is a member of the President's 'kitchen cabinet' and was made the powerful general secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party very recently. When the scandal first broke out few years ago the President refused to do anything about it..
Susanthika is yet to announce whether she is prepared to accept the President's offer.
Meanwhile Colombo's Daily News, the state run newspaper in a pampering editorial about the sportswoman was also very apologetic about the past. It commented: " As is well known , however, Susanthika Jayasinghe's climb to the top of the sporting ladder was not at all an easy one. She had small beginnings and had to strain every nerve and muscle to acquire excellence in her sporting specialities. She also had to suffer tempestuous ups and downs , which are now almost common knowledge, but she thereby captured the popular imagination. Perhaps, there is some substance in her admission that she would have performed much better , perhaps even bagging the coveted gold medal , if she had been spared the traumas , she was put through."
But the newspaper , not surprisingly, did not propose any punishment for the alleged wrongdoer.(EOM)