Factors Influencing on Performances of Sri Lankan Players in Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham, England

Abstract

Among the Sri Lankan team (110 athletes) participated in the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) Birmingham, only four athletes won medals. The purpose of this study is to identify effective factors on performance of Sri Lankan athletes in the CWG and to compare the factors affecting those who have won the CWG medals and those who did not win medals. The population was selected from those who engaged with the Sri Lankan team practices for 2022 commonwealth games. The athletes (n1=10) and national coaches (n2=10) were selected as a sample from the population through the purposive sampling method. The data were collected from one-to-one direct interviews and the collected data were analysed by thematic analysis. Training and preparation, coaching and guiding, facilities, and external environmental factors are the main effective themes in the performances. Base on the analysed results foundation of an athlete’s career, training plan, performance analysis, and nutritional consultation were the effective sub themes to the training and preparation. Coaches’ education level, the relationship between coach and athlete, and coaching experience were the influencing factors to coaching and guiding. Standard playing areas and equipment, and high performance centres were the related elements to the facilities. Social and cultural aspects, environmental changes and the economical barriers were the interrelated external environmental factors. In congruence with interview and literature studies, lack of childhood sports foundation, non-relevant talent identification, undefined training plan, irregular performances analysis, obstructed nutritional plan, lack of standard playing area, high cost of standard equipment, impoverished high performance centres and most certainly not havnig environmental chambers, lack of support from the government, education institutions and spectators, cultural myths, gender discrimination, economic inflation, COVID-19 pandemic, and high altitude environment have negatively affected to the athlete performances. These factors have contributed less to medal winners.