Sinhala language newspaper Mawbima in a report has claimed that Commonwealth Bronze Medalist, Wrestler Nethmi Ahinsa had been forcefully taken to meet former Minister Namal Rajapaksa without any prior knowledge of such a visit.

According to the report, the Ministry of Sport had organised a felicitation program for Ahinsa at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. A Pradeshiya Sabha politician linked to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna from Ahinsa’s area had offered to provide transport to Ahinsa and her coach to the event in Colombo.

The newspaper claims on the secret instructions of the politician the driver had informed Ahinsa and the coach that he had been asked to take them to meet the Minister of Sports before heading to the event. However, instead of taking her to visit the current Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, according to a plan hatched, they were taken to meet former Minister Namal Rajapaksa instead.

Photographs were taken with the medalist and shared on social media drawing the ire of the public who criticized both Ahinsa and her coach for the visit. The report said both finally making it to the event had related their experience to officials and those gathered at the event location.

However posting on Social Media, Rajapaksa has since denied the claims and said the news report is a fabrication.