Sri Lanka draw India 1 - 1
by Shirajiv SirimaneSri Lanka drew India one all and qualified to enter the finals of the Bristol Four Nation Freedom Trophy soccer encounter last night at the Stadium. The hosts will once again meet India tomorrow on the finals at 6 p.m.
Sri Lankans sporting a smart white attire took the field with the intension of scoring a goal or opting for a draw, in a bid to enter the final.
The Indians which maintained a fine unblemished record with a victory each over Malaysia and Maldives had already booked this place in the finals, and did not go all out.
Though the Lankans had all their guns firing, no results come their way in the first half. As many as four clear scoring opportunities came their way but as in the previous games the 'chances' went a begging.
In the 35th minute of the game Indian custodian M. Mark who collided with an Lankan striken had to be carried away and Sangram Mukkerjee substituted.
After the change over the Lankans led by custodian Lalith Weerasinghe changed their plans and were rewarded when Roshan Perera in a fine solo effort put them ahead. This is his fourth in the tournament so far.
However in the very next minute Hamilton Bubby sent in a nice corner pass for Rajeshkumar Pandey to head home the equalizer.
Singaporian Surdi Ismail refereed while C. A. B. Marasinghe and W. V. S. Jayaweera were the linesmen.
S. P. Wickramatilleke was adjudged the best player.
Meanwhile in the first match Maldives maintained their fine run of successes when they defeated Malaysia 2-1 after an 1 all dead lock.
Shan Ismile opened scoring for them in the first half while the second came off an own goal.
Best player M. Nizam, Maldives.
Chee Weng scored for Malaysia, A. M. Yapa refereed and he came in to high criticism. Many observers were against nominating a Sri Lankan referee to officiate in a key match of this nature. Minister of Industries and Industrial Development C. V. Gooneratne was the Chief Guest. Today is the rest day of the tournament and Malaysia is expected to leave today.
Over 200 peddlers for Nationals
By Dhammika RatnaweeraOver 200 peddlers are expected to participate at the 52nd National Table Tennis championships which is to be held on December 5-6 at S. Thomas Gymnasium Mt. Lavinia.
This being the major event of the Table Tennis calendar all top ranked players are expected to participate said Sarath Gunaratne President TTASL at a press briefing held at NOC board recently.
The events to be worked off are Mens and Womens Singles, Mens and Womens Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Many young peddler from outstation schools too are expected to vie for honours at this C'ships.
Last year Tilina Piyadasa Vidyartha College and Deepika Rodrigo Lake House SC won the major titles.
The President further said at the 14th Asian TT championship in Osaka Japan recently our peddlers did better than previous years. They lost to South Korea and won against Cambodia, Mongolia, UAE and Maccau be in the team championship. However next he also said that they are unable to send a team for the Asian Games in Bangkok and said the Sports Ministry wants us to be among the top six nations. Which we are unable to predict.
This decision deprives the peddlers of a great opportunity of gaining experience said the President.
Jagath Gamanayake Marketing Manager National Saving Bank said, NSB sponsors this championship for third consecutive year.
Other games have many sponsors but TT has only one major sponsor. We try to promote the game and TTASL gives needed assistance.
Lalith Priyantha Vice President said we hope to promote the game by bringing in new ideas and it is necessary to promote the game especially among the school children.
The Carlton Club Moratuwa celebrated its 75th Anniversary recently. Located in a picturesque environment overlooking the Lunawa lagoon, it's bordered on either side by two leading boy's schools of Moratuwa. The initiative of forming the club was taken in 1923 by Sir. E. P. A. Fernando who is recognised as the founder of the Carlton Club along with Shelton. H. E. Pieris, Leonard De Mel, Stanley Perera, Oriel De Mel, Dr. A. M. Fernando, and J. L. Fernando. On the 14th of August 1939 owing to the generosity of Sir and Lady E. P. A. Fernando the club was relocated at the present premises. Messrs. E. P. A. Fernando, S. L. de Mel, H. E. P. de Mel and J. E. L. Weerasingha donated the four new Tennis courts.
On the 1st of June 1949, the members entertained the first Prime Minister of Independent Ceylon; the late D. S. Senanayake on his first official visit to Moratuwa. It was possible that we were the first Sports Club to have a reception for the first Prime Minister of Ceylon.
No lesser person than the late Sir John Kotalawala had graced the club on several occasions.
In the arena of Tennis, Table Tennis, Carrom, Billiards and Snooker, Cricket and Bridge, but especially in Tennis the club has produced players of astounding calibre. F. S. de Mel, C. S. A. Perera, Dr. A. M. Fernando, J. Renfred Perera, Paul Senarathna and J. P. K. Fernando were players of great ability and repute in their day. In 1930 the club had one of its young founder members J. L. Fernando captaining the Tennis team of Keble College, Oxford.
In 1962, the Carlton Tennis team emerged winners of the B division Otters Inter Club Tournament while Nirmalath Mendis became the Public School Champion. Dr. Guy de Silva, D. M. Fernando, B. A. Fernando, Sicil Pieris, Denzil Fernando and Hyacinth Dharmarathna were prominent players during this time and they succeeded in winning the Veterans Title in 1969. One of our young members Deepal Wannakuwatta who proceeded to U.S.A on Tennis Scholarship was named the outstanding college Athlete in 1971. In 1973, Ms. Mala Fernando who was then ranked at No. 3, brought great honour to the club by winning the Mixed Doubles National Title along with B. L. Pinto.
One of our Veteran Tennis Player's Claude Fonseka has won almost all the over 65 National Titles and is still to be defeated in that division. Our member Ms. Sobhini De Silva was ranked No. 1 in 1987 and currently a leading player in the country. In 1987 the Carlton team comprising of Anean de Silva, Daya Sirisena, Arosha Perera, Gerald Mendis, Laksiri Fernando, Sobhini De Silva and Nirmalath Mendis won the Division II National Tennis Championship.
Progressing from strength to strength presently the Carlton Club is an affiliated member of the B.C.C.S.L. Carlton Club commenced its cricketing career in 1994 under the leadership of Daya Sirisena participating in the division 3 Cricket tournament as an invitation club. The club promptly won the joint title in 1994/95 and the championship in l995/96 and was promoted to Div, 1l. The Carlton cricket team has also won the Golden oldies Cricket Tournament conducted by Colts Cricket Club and participated in the HATNA Trophy event conducted by the B.C.C.S.L
While the Carlton club celebrates its 75th Anniversary, one of its most distinguished members for over 49 years, Past president Eardley Perera, President's counsel who is also a Trustee is being felicitated on his 50th year in the legal profession. The bar counter donated by the Ceylon Breweries Ltd will be opened on this day in the presence of The Deputy Minister Sports and Youth Affairs and Member of Parliament Jeewan Kumaratunga and other distinguished guests.
National Sports Festival to mark World Disabled Day
by Dhammika RatnaweeraSri Lanka will celebrate 'World Disabled Day' which falls on December 3 with a National Sports Festival for the Disabled.
"This will be the eighth Disabled Sports Festival conducted by the National Federation of Sports for the Disabled in association with the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan and in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Services and the Ministry of Samurdhi, Youth Affairs and Sports, said Stefan Furkhan President of the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan at the press briefing held at the Swimming Club, Colombo 3. This event is scheduled to be staged at the Race Course Reid Avenue on December 2 and 3 being the finals. The President further said, "The Rotary Club of Metropolitan is proud of the fact that they have been associated with this very humanitarian event for the last seven years, supporting the National Federation of Sports for the Disabled who are the organisers of the event. Our sponsor Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation has once again come forward while Shell Gas Company and Ceylon Agro Industries Ltd. (Prima) have contributed generously in order to pledge their support for the first time and recognise our disabled community which includes members of the Armed Forces as well. The Social Services Ministry and the Ministry of Samurdhi ,Youth Affairs and Sports have also pledged a sum of Rs. 2,50,000 each.
Tharanga Dias, co-chairman of the Organising Committee Rotary Club of Metropolitan said over 1,000 athletes from all parts of Sri Lanka will take part in this festival. This time, eleven different sports namely athletics, archery, badminton, cycling, swimming, power lifting, shooting, table tennis, volleyball, wheel-chair tennis, wheel-chair marathon will be contested with over 200 events lined up. So far 615 disabled athletes from different types of disabilities will be competing in what is the only national event for the disabled who qualify to represent the country. It is open to physically disabled, mentally disabled, the deaf, dumb and the blind too.
The finals on December 3 will be graced by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who will be the chief guest. The other guests will be the Minister of Sports S. B. Dissanayake and Social Services Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake.
Adopting the guidance there of 'Disability is no Inability', Lions International District 306 B has launched a major awareness campaign on the Disabled persons in Sri Lanka, whose numbers have been rapidly increasing due to the ravages of the prevalent war. Under the leadership of the District Governor Lion Malik Zaveer, the District Chairman for the physically handicapped Lion Lucky Jayasuriya, and the dedicated Lions from the district, the loving and sturdy arms of Lionism are geared and ready to focus attention to the life, needs and the rehabilitation of these stricken brethren many of whom are unsung and forgotten heroes of mother Lanka. The project also will provide exposure to the bright and positive aspects of their latent talents, especially in the Sports arena. It will spotlight deserving recognition and sincere encouragement to a category of people who strive to rise from the depths of despondency and misery. The injured soldiers from the armed services will be prominent participants.
This Lionistic endeavour will take the form of a sports festival for the Disabled scheduled for Saturday 21st November 1998 from 1.00 p.m. at the sports Ministry Grounds, Reid Avenue, Colombo 07. The programme include track events, a cricket match, a volley ball match and an exhibition soccer match, for which teams will be drawn from various centres for disabled & the Ranaviru Sevena. Through the generosity of the Lions Clubs, commercial establishments & philanthropic individuals many attractive prizes & gifts will be offered to the winners and participants.
Another note of significance is that the planned sports festival will coincide with the important and prestigious 26th South Asia, Africa and Middle East forum of the Lions Clubs international, which will be held in Colombo from the 19th to 22nd November 1998. An attendance of over four hundred foreign delegates together with a strong contingent of local Lions is anticipated. The sports festival will be graced by the presence of Lion Kajith Habanananda the international Lions President who will be the chief guest.
The conduct of the sports festival will indeed be a reflection of the commitment, team work and service of Sri Lankan Lions who are harmonising human values to extend the hand of solace satisfaction & solution to the needy and helpless persons, among whom are our physically handicapped brethren.
Amateur Basketball Federation handed over a donation of Rs. 10,000/- to the Army Welfare Fund at the finals of the recently concluded Inter Club Basketball Championship held at Kings Court at Otter Aquatic Club. Here the President of ABF Malsiri Perera hands over the cheque to Army Chief Lt. Gen. Rohan Daluwatte.
Royal College under 15 Rugby Football Team will tour Malaysia today to take part in the Malaysian Invitation Rugby Tournament conducted by the MRU.
Royal College Team Captained by Kushan Athukorale was runner-up at the under 15 Championship this year. Last year they won the local tournament and took part in this tournament in Malaysia and came to the finals.
This was the first occasion a Sri Lankan under 15 team entered the finals in this competitive tournament.
Apart from Royal, Trinity and St. Peter's too are due to take part in this years' tournament. Royal College is represented by the following:
B. M. H. K. Basnayake (Master in Charge), Y. K. de Silva (Coach), N. Jayasinghe (Coach), K. Athukorale (Captain), M. Z. Hamid, M. I. S. de Silva, D. I. N. Perera, D. C. Lewke, A. Z. Kamil, M. M. Ismail, L. V. Perera, M. R. Baari, R. Jayasundera, M. Wijeyaratne, K. Jayalath, P. D. Jayakodi, Q. S. Mohamed, C. S. L. de Silva. (JK).
Concrete pitches aimed at developing outstation talent
One of the lofty aims of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka is to build as many concrete wickets as possible in the outstations of the country with a view to providing the golden opportunity to budding cricketers to emerge as the future stars of the local cricketing firmament, said the Board President, Thilanga Sumathipala in an interview with 'The Island'. The Cricket Board chief made this disclosure when asked to comment on the BCCSL's newest drive to install concrete pitches (in the form of practice wickets) in the outskirts of the city in a bid to upgrade the infrastructure facilities in as many cricket grounds in the rural areas.
He said, "At this moment of time there has been an hitherto unprecedented initiative on the part of the Board, to put-up around 120 of these wickets in such far-flung areas like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Moneragala, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kandy and Kurunegala just to name a few. Our goal is to comb as many places as possible and thereby look into the drawbacks of those grounds and bring them up to a certain standard and level where one day in the new millennium we will be in a position to stage 'international cricket.' At this point Sumathipala cited the example of the newly inaugurated Galle International Cricket Stadium (formerly Galle Esplanade) where the BCCSL has been able to develop the necessary facilities to bring it up to modern international cricket requirements to stage Test matches and one-day internationals successfully. It must be noted here Galle International Cricket Stadium was baptised as the newest international cricket ground in world cricket when Sri Lanka played a three test series against New Zealand in June this year in addition to playing couple of one-dayers during the Singer Akai Nidahas Trophy triangular tournament.
"One of the major areas which we have earmarked to be further developed in the next century along the lines of the Galle Stadium is in Dambulla where the officials of the Cricket Board with the unflinching support rendered by the district cricket associations. They have already chosen a certain plot of land to be turned into an international venue in the years to come. For the moment I cannot reveal any further details as regards this place in Dambulla, but when the opportune time presents itself the Cricket Board will be keeping the mass media informed as to the developments of the Dambulla grounds," said Thilanga Sumathipala.
Concerning the expenditure incurred by the BCCSL to install the new concrete wickets in the remote areas of the country, Cricket Board chief said, "In this connection we have succeeded in allocating a sum of Rs. 65,000 each for the construction of one concrete wicket. And overall the entire figure which we have set apart totals up to in excess over Rs. 7 1/2 million.
Asked as to why the Board was hell-bent on putting up concrete wickets in the far-flung areas of Sri Lanka where the need of the hour was to have begun with the initiative from Colombo where the majority congregation of cricketers are found, Sumathipala said that most of the grounds in the capital and its suburbs were well equipped with the necessary infrastructure. "Added to that, none of those clubs to which these leading grounds belong have made any request from us. Thus far they are in dire-need of these practice wickets," added Sumathipala putting to rest that BCCSL was not keen enough in further upgrading the existing facilities of the cricket grounds in the metropolis.
Further reiterating his point, Sumathipala finally emphasised it when he said, "One has got to understand the next generation of cricketers who will undoubtedly become the future torch bearers in cricket for this country will obviously surface from the outstations. As it is, in this respect the Board under my direction has made it clear that we must improve all the necessary facilities in the outskirts with a view to providing the much needed encouragement for rural players to display their hidden talents so that one day they could take over from the current set of players who have already put the country's name on the world map by emerging as world champs in one-day cricket in 1996."
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