A viral graphic falsely attributed to Sri Lanka's sports minister claimed sprinter Fathima Shafiya Yamick was excluded from the Asian Games at Muslim leaders' request. Sri Lanka Athletics says her omission was based on her overall performance in previous competitions.
Sri Lanka Athletics president Bimal Wijayasinghe said Yamick had performed well in 2025 but could not perform well in the first half of 2026. A sports ministry spokesperson said selection for major events is handled by Sri Lanka Athletics through qualifying trials and its criteria, not by the ministry.
Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage had separately criticized the selection process, saying some players had faced “injustices”; no official reports support the quote in the graphic. Yamick called the graphic fake, and Dasatha News said it had not published it; the outlet has no record of it on its official channels.
