BEIJING: 36 bosses for 8 athletes

With the opening ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games just days away, 28 officials and six politicos are packing their baggage for a dream holiday in the ‘Forbidden City’.
Media reliably learns that in addition to the eight approved officials that include six coaches, chef-de-mission and masseur, nearly 28 other officials will represent Sri Lanka in various capacities, even though only eight athletes are competing.
The list includes a host of sports ministry officials including two ministers, a secretary and director general of sports and several other officials representing various national sports associations. AS source said "one wonders if the sports ministry will be closed for the public during the three week-long event, in the absence of its top bureaucrats."
According to sources the six VVIPS going include President Rajapaksa, Sports Ministers Gamini Lokuge and Bandula Basnayake, former Sports Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga, volleyball federation president Minister Dilan Perera, and Wushu interim committee president, Minister T.B Ekanayake. This was however contrary to an earlier directive from President Rajapaksa, who said no minister other than the two in charge should travel to China to witness the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza.
"This is an absolute waste of public money," said a disgusted official.
"If all these people are getting everything free of charge courtesy the Chinese government, the opportunity should have gone to future medal prospects rather than a bunch of bench warming morons," he added.
However this wasn’t the first instance that Sri Lanka has accommodated officials in large numbers for foreign sporting events, as a record number of officials accompanied the national contingent for the last Doha Asian Games, as observers.
The team also includes a media coordinator in Shivanthi Fernando, who is apparently the secretary of Dian Gomes, Gamini Jayasinghe, secretary Sri Lanka Hockey Association, and Palitha Fernando, president Athletics Association of Sri Lanka.
The 29th Olympics will kick off in Beijing on Friday and Sri Lanka pins its hopes heavily on celebrated sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe for a repeat of Sydney 2000, in Beijing.