The video footage of a young boy being slapped several times by his coach has surfaced on social media, and has caused a great deal of anger amongst activists and parents alike. 

The video shows the young sportsman being violently slapped in the face by an angry coach and then sent back onto the grounds. 

The coach is reportedly Sanath Martis, a known rugby coach, and the school St. Peter’s College, one of the leading Catholic schools in Colombo. 

The incident raises the question of how far the school is willing to go to secure victory for their sports teams— St. Peter’s is one of the leading rugby teams this season. 

With the Sri Lankan government on a mission to End Corporal Punishment by 2020, it is imperative that an inquiry is launched into the incident and action is taken against the school and the coach, activists say.