Australia lends former SL athlete Anula to train Paralympic athletes
Aformer Sri Lankan woman Athlete, going great guns as an Athletic Coach and Instructor in Australia, is now in Sri Lanka, on an invitation to assist Sri Lanka's Paralympic athletes in preparation for the 2016 Paralympics.
Accepting the invitation 'with both hands', to serve her motherland with what she has achieved in Australia, to uplift the standards of our para-athletes, is none other than Anula Costa who hailed from Dunagaha - a small village in Divulapitiya.
Anula received her early education and learnt her Athletics at Dunagaha Ranasinghe Vidyalaya, and later at Newstead Balika Vidyalaya (BV), Negombo. She excelled in Athletics, both in sprint events and in the Long Jump in school and at District level. Spotting the talents of this promising youngster, the teacher-in-charge of Athletics at Newstead BV, introduced Anula to K.L.F. Wijedasa, a prominent Athletics coach at that time.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Anula said Wijedasa instructed her to join CT&FC and he was behind me in Sports and Education. Paying a glowing tribute to Wijedasa, she said, if not for Wijedasa's guidance, she would not be in the present position. The veteran coach guided her right throughout her career, to become National Long Jump champion in 1983, and also to become a coach.
She said she was unfortunate not to represent Sri Lanka due to injuries. She was a member of the Commonwealth and Asian Games squads.
Migrating to Australia in 1998, she first finished her Postgraduate Diploma in 1999, and joined Athletic Victoria as a coach and Track & Field official. Presently, Anula is serving Athletic Australia as an Educator, Coach and Assessor. She has participated in several international Track and Field events such as the 2000 Paralympics Games, as a National Technical Official. She was awarded Life Membership and Merit Award for Track and Field by the Regional Track & Field Association of Deakin University, Melbourne.
Anula is delighted to be in Sri Lanka after 18 years, on a mission to serve her motherland, to assist Sri Lanka’s Paralympics Programme. She had conducted workshops and coaching sessions as holder of National Development Level 1 Qualification in Coaching of Athletic Australia. She is in Sri Lanka since last year, on the invitation of Prof. Rajaratne of the Peradeniya University, through Deakin University, to assist the Sri Lanka Paralympic programme.
Prof. Rajaratne, along with the then Army Commander, realised the need for a coach for disabled athletes, mostly from the Sri Lanka Army.
Having rendered her services not only to Para-athletes, Anula has coached and accredited 50 coaches for the SL Army. Her skills and knowledge is highly recognised in Athletic Australia and was first choice for a coach for Lankan Paralympic athletes.
Due to her links with Sri Lanka Athletics in 2015, Athletic Australia implemented a project funded by the Australian government for the development of Athletics in Asian countries. Anula was approached for this task and made aware through a project called Active Sri Lanka.
The Process, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports, will start in October and continue till August 2017.
This is what her coach in Sri Lanka, K.L.F. Wijedasa had to say about her. "She is one my Athletes I trained at the University grounds. She was a very loyal and keen athlete. Whatever I say to her, she always questions, ‘Why should I do this’, and is keen to know the results of any action. I encouraged her to go abroad and do a Degree in Sports Science, as there was a dearth of qualified people in Sports Science."
She left to Australia and joined Deakin University where she was successful and was highly commended by her lecturers. When I went for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Anula took me around the university and showed me the Bio Mechanical Club. It was equipped with the most modern technology. I am sure, if our athletes get this sort of equipment, there will be tremendous improvement in our standards. Anula was in charge of the training track at the Games.
The veteran coach concluded by saying that he was proud of Anula and thanked her for coming to Sri Lanka, even for one year, to help the Para-athletes.