He has vowed to turn around the fortunes of Sri Lanka's teams following poor performances at last year's Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Sri Lanka finished 20th in the overall medals table in New Dehli but face the prospect of being stripped of the only gold the team won following the positive test of boxer Manju Wanniarachchi for banned anabolic steroids after he beat Wales' Sean McGoldrick in the final of the bantamweight division.

At the Asian Games, in Guangzhou, they failed to win a single medal - their worst ever performance.

"I have already appointed a committee to look into this and submit a report to me," Aluthgamage told Sri Lanka's Sunday Observer in an interview.

"They will examine what happened at the Asian Games and we are going to make a four-year plan.

"I met the Athletic Federation and a few athletes who have won gold medals for Sri Lanka as well as good coaches like Sunil Gunawardene and Dervin Perera.

"They are the people who groomed these athletes.

"When I discussed with them, I could understand that we did not have a proper plan.

"The Athletic Federation, former athletics, the Olympic Committee and instructors have not even sat together.

"I have also categorised these athletes - those who can achieve Olympic glory and those who can do well at Asian Games.

"I am going to pay them a special allowance to motivate them.

"I have allocated money and everything for them.

"Now I am going to select the best coaches in Sri Lanka.

"I have also decided to bring some foreign coaches. I have already spoken with the Olympic Committee chairman Hemasiri Fernando and given him the task of bringing two or three overseas coaches as well.

"So we are going to have best Sri Lankan and foreign coaches. We have already sent the best three coaches for overseas training.

"I have also decided to send another two female coaches to America or Jamaica for training.

"The others we are going to keep here and give them advanced training."

Aluthgamage has pointed to the performances of Sri Lanka's cricketers and sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe, who won a silver medal in the 200 metres at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, as evidence that the talent exists in the country.

"Our athletes are like blue sapphires in Ratnapura," he said.

"They are priceless.

"[Muttiah] Muralidharan (pictured) became the world's best spinner and [Kumar] Sangakkara became the number one batsman.

"In addition, we won the World Cup and Susanthika got a medal at Olympics.

"If they can do it, why can't others?

"We have very good assets.

"We should have a good plan and give them the leadership.

"I am confident I can do that. But I won't be able to achieve it within one or two years.

"It will take about three years.

"I didn't see there was a good plan for sports for the last two or three years.

"A lot of sports men have been fed up and given up athletics and some other sports.

"They were not happy about the things happening in the field of sports.

"Now I have invited everybody and we have a systematic plan.

"I think we can give a good performance within the next two or three years."

If it goes to plan, Sri Lanka hope to be one of South East Asia's leading sports nations by 2018, the year they hope to stage the Commonwealth Games.

Hambantota is currently bidding against the Gold Coast with the Commonwealth Games Federation due to announce the winner at its assembly in St Kitts and Nevis on November 11.

"We just want to show we can do this in Hambantota," said Aluthgamage.

"We have already planned to bring the Asian Beach Games to Sri Lanka which is going to be held in Hambantota from August 21 to 29.

"I think that would affect the voting of the Commonwealth Games as well.

"Our Foreign Ministry, Sports Ministry and the Olympic Committee are working as a team to gain votes for Sri Lanka.

"We hope that we can win the bid and host the Commonwealth Games in 2018."

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