Impact of import sanctions on sports, fitness and well-being of sri lankans
The beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka entered a tumultuous period contracting even the most fundamental requirements and activities, disrupting financial markets, lifestyle, health, and sports due to the unfortunate financial crisis.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐!
While the teams and individual athletes began to experience financial issues due to sponsorship resistance, professional sporting events too were graced by declined attendance.
Our athletes, however, are gifted, skilful, strong & resilient, and the majority of the fan base are praetorians who are adamant about keeping the ball rolling, be it a storm or pleasant weather.
Games were continued, with a few or no viewers, overcoming numerous difficulties such as funding, lack of sports equipment, and sportswear that were either given by limited sponsorships, on loan, or through generous donations by the few organizations & able – fans that truly cared. This support during the most grueling times will never be forgotten and enabled our athletes to reach successful results that showered pride and recognition on our nation as a whole.
How often do we hear a competent athlete requesting a shoe or the gear that enables them to continue doing what they love and are good at? May I also remind you kind readers that these athletes never compete only for personal gain but they sweat hard, train hard and overcome numerous hardships to lift the spirits of the local sports lovers with the goal of hoisting the Sri Lankan flag at an international level?
However, such prolonged negative impacts on the sporting industry may result in a very glum downturn affecting the lives of the present & future athletes, sponsorships, and their fans.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด!
The import restrictions may be a blessing to certain industries, but it certainly is anathema to the industry of sports.
We presently witness that many sports equipment franchises that furnish quality sports gear and sportswear at reasonable prices are already suspending their operations or are on the verge of shutting down their operations completely in Sri Lanka due to import restrictions.
May I remind you that these franchises once imagined it to be a compliment to be serving the youth and the athletes in Sri Lanka, and they stood steadfast in offering their services during the most crucial period of the crisis?
๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐?
Enforcing import restrictions on sports-related equipment and gear is indeed non-rational.
โข Our teams & athletes who participate in sports events on a professional level may need to restrict participating and practicing due to the non-availability of quality sportswear/gear. This is sure to have a very high & negative impact on their mindset and performance, hindering them as individuals and us as a nation hauling the country to yet another downbeat experience.
โข These franchises also aroused the attention of the non-athletes and spiked their interest in sports, fitness, and physical activities that precisely led them to a healthy lifestyle. May I remind you that a healthy nation is always debt-free, and healthy citizens are one of the greatest assets a country could have?
โข A visit to these interesting stores awakened the residing sportsman or sportswoman in young children which boosted their determination and allowed them to chase their goals with new vigor with a promise for the future.
โข These international franchises introduced new & improved equipment, gear, and sportswear that assisted to enhance the performance of the athletes and enabled them to perform with ease.
โข Such international franchises offer our country more recognition & attraction and also provide the local workforce with reliable & reputable job opportunities.
โข International franchises are a source of foreign income for the country are they not? They invest in projects offering fresh opportunities to our country’s people, and the recent import restrictions have unfortunately not considered the heavy loss the suspension of such franchises would bring to our country.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐
While some officials and economists think that sports don’t matter to an economy, the positive impact of sports on a country’s economy is much greater than one would think.
For most of us, sports is just a game, leisure activity. But did you ever consider that sports play a major role in the country’s economy just as any other industry?
The industry of sports contributes to the following:
๐๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ผ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐จ
Professional athletes are mostly sponsored by companies and they are usually offered a comfortable position & a salary scale.
While some athletes may be locally involved, most athletes are involved internationally and earn foreign currency for the country.
๐ฟ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ & ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐๐๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ
The sports industry contains many occupations that provide a livelihood for many with stable incomes.
โฃ Sports Trainers, coaches, instructors, and officials
โฃ Fitness instructors
โฃ The medical team consists of doctors, physiotherapists
โฃ Sports Managers, Coordinators, and leisure assistants
โฃ Sports aid – such as Gardeners and groundsmen/groundswomen
๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐๐จ๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ
Sporting events when held in our country help to boost the tourism industry by attracting both willing-to-travel and reluctant- travelers.
๐ผ๐ข๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ค๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ
A professional team or an athlete can endorse our nation, promoting foreign investments.
๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ
Above all, sports promote positive health among the citizens. A healthy nation encourages a wealthy nation, does it not?
NCDs (non-communicable diseases) are the leading cause of death worldwide and represent an emerging global health threat. From a cardiologist’s point of view, the more people are active, the lesser the number of patients with non-communicable diseases like diabetes/Cardio Vascular diseases which benefits the country.
๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ป’๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐๐?
Say no to import restrictions on sports gear & wear!
The Sri Lankan athlete faces numerous difficulties and is already in deep waters. The recent import restrictions on sports equipment are adding insult to injury.
The import restrictions will create an inevitable vacuum leaving limited or no choices for the general public to purchase quality sports equipment & sportswear. The scarcity of the required equipment culminates in discouraging people from pursuing physical activities and engaging in fitness-related programs that may incite the intensification of many diseases from the lack of physical activity. Let me recall to your attention once again that an unhealthy community restricts a nation from its development.
Therefore, I humbly request the responsible officials to consider taking the necessary action and release the restrictions enforced on sports-related equipment.
The import relief will be much appreciated by the athletes & sports enthusiasts and save our sports industry for our present & future generations, encouraging them to enjoy, revel and bestow our beloved mother nation with more achievements and pride!
