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by S. M. JIFFREY ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

Clubs and schools in the hill capital are badly in need of a cricket ground to play their matches and also to conduct practice sessions and therefore the work on the Pallekelle Cricket Grounds should be continued, said the former Minister of Sports and present Minister of Plantation Industries, Mr. Lakshman Kiriella.

He made these comments in Kandy when the media inquired about the present position of the Pallekelle Cricket Complex, the work on which was inaugurated in early 2000.

Minister Lakshaman Kiriella said that already a sum of Rs. 50 million had been spent on levelling and other ground preparation for the construction of the cricket grounds at Pallekelle. Since a substantial amount has been spent, the work on this must be continued as it would ease the cricket ground problem in Kandy with more schools taking to cricket.

Minister Lakshaman Kiriella said that at present both Kandy Cricket Club and Kandy Youths Cricket Club are playing in the P. Sara Trophy cricket tournament but they do not have a proper ground or place to practice or organise themselves to meet the challenges of other clubs.

Another good playground in Kandy will also help the schools to play their matches according to the tournament schedules. When there is a shortage of grounds the schools are compelled to play their matches during school days which could affect the studies of the cricketers. If another venue is available then the matches could be played during week ends and non-school days.

It must be recalled that a cricket stadium for Kandy was the brainchild of Minister Lakshman Kiriella and the foundation stone for this project was laid in February 2000 by the then Minister of Sports, S. B. Dissanayake at the land owned by the Board of Investments at Pallekelle. Levelling and other ground work was done during the tenure of office as Sports Minister by Lakshaman Kiriella last year.

Schools in Kandy like Kingswood, Vidyaratha, St. Sylvesters, Sri Sumangala and even Dharmaraja at present are without a proper playground to play their matches.

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