The present national diving record holder with 317 points, six-time and current national champion Chanaka Wickramasinghe believes the standards of Sri Lankan diving has gone from bad to worse during the last few years. He aired these views in an interview with ‘Sunday Island – Sportstar’ recently.

"You need standards to perform in diving but after late 1990s, such standards of diving have gone down due to lack of coaches. At the moment there is no one who knows about good levels of diving.

"Sri Lanka participated in the 1996 Olympics through diver Janaka Biyanwila, thanks to the national coach that time Mohamed Fayaz, but after that the sport has deteriorated mainly due to lack of coaches.

"I blame the past members of the Sri Lankan Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) for not taking responsibility to improve diving. They’re just going on focusing only on swimming. The sport of swimming also must be improved but at the same time they must think about improving diving too," said Chanaka.

He further added saying: "I am the National champion but who’s there to teach me to reach the top. No one, and the main thing is no one is thinking seriously about this matter. Somebody must bring a good coach from overseas to improve the standards of Sri Lankan divers or at least the authorities must think to improve the level of our own coaches. Nothing is happening now.

"Even the children who like to choose this sport are discouraged because no one knows how to coach them correctly. At the moment, I am teaching some divers while taking part in competitions. I am not blowing my own trumpet. But those divers have performed well in the top local championships."

Chanaka emerged champion in the Asian Diving Championship and recorded 298 points to win the bronze medal in one meter spring board in year 2000. He also won the 25th place, out of divers from 45 countries, in the World Diving Championship which was held in 1999.