Anna-Marie Ondaatje, Sri Lanka’s first rhythmic gymnast who was overlooked for the Tokyo Olympics last July, was captured in her integrity and genuine value as she gifted mobile phones and tabs to nine athletes who won medals at last month’s Asian Youth Para Games in Bahrain.
The youngsters performed extremely well in Bahrain winning a total of 12 medals under the guidance of swimming legend Julian Bolling, who accompanied them as team manager. Galina Basnayake of Lyceum International School performed the best out of the rest bagging three gold medals and one silver.
Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa attended the presentation ceremony among others.
Anna-Marie became the pin-up girl of Sri Lanka after making her debut at the 35th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Pesaro, Italy in 2017 and in Sofia, Bulgaria the following year.
She created history at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where she was placed sixth in the club apparatus finals and 11th all-around.
She also qualified for the finals in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
For reasons best known to Sri Lankan Olympic officials she could not find a place among the largest contingent of Sri Lanka athletes numbering nine to the Tokyo Games and her situation was highlighted exclusively by the Sunday Observer.
But nothing could have killed the drive in the vivacious Anna-Marie who was once acclaimed as a brand ambassador of rhythmic gymnastics by the international governing body FIG while her beauty and grace as a ballerina endeared her to the media who see her as a guardian angel lifting the lives of the weak and downtrodden through her A Quint Ondaatje Foundation of Sri Lanka.
Jason Jayawardena (right) one of the athletes at the Asian Youth Para Games has the honour of receiving a gift from his admirer Anna-Marie Ondaatje (Pictures by Sudath Malaweera)