COLOMBO, Dec 12: Sri Lanka's only medal winner at the Asian Games, sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe, has slammed administrators, claiming the island's athletes were malnourished.

Jayasinghe, who took silver in the women's 100 metres and a disappointing bronze in the 200 metres, said Sri Lankan officials wanted to travel abroad for competitions but paid little attention to grooming athletes.

“We are falling way behind... Sports officials have not done enough.

Athletes are malnourished and there is no attempt to improve their standard,” Jayasinghe said in an interview with state television here.

Jayasinghe, 31, a former world championship silver medallist and an Olympic bronze medallist, said Sri Lankan athletes had to battle economic hardships.

She also said sports officials needed improve their performance, adding that she was given her tracksuit just two weeks before the Doha games.

“Where are we heading? Do we have a second level of athletes to take my place?” she asked. “Lets face it. If not for me, our contingent would go home empty-handed.”—AFP