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| Sunday, 6 April 2003 |
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All praise Moors Sports Club for winning Premier League Cricket Trophy by LAL GUNESEKERA An Indoor Swimming Pool and Floodlit Indoor Cricket Nets are some of the new projects in the offing at Moors Sports Club in the very near future disclosed its President Shafiq Rajabdeen at the felicitation ceremony on Friday at Braybrooke Place to its cricketers who emerged champions of the Premier League Cricket Trophy. Rajabdeen whilst congratulating Rangana Herath (captain), Chandika Hathurusinghe (coach cum player) for winning the Premier Championship for the first occasion in their 95-year-old history, since the early beginnings at New Moor Street in Pettah in 1908 (moved to Braybrooke Place in 1931), remembered with nostalgia some top cricketers from Moors who distinguished themselves - M. A. Waheed, Makin Salih, A. C. M. Lafir, M. L. M. Nawaz, Tony Buhar, Ghulam Razick, H. A. Caffoor, Dr. Azeez Mubarak, Dr. Sarath Seneviratne and several others. He said that the club took a new turn under A. J. M. Muzamil in 1983 with new turf wicket and pavilion and now Moors have completed the Sports Complex which is second to none in Sri Lanka. He paid a tribute to his committee and also the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (BCCSL) for valuable assistance rendered over the years. Moors also created the Moors Sports Club President's Fund to help cricketers who are less fortunate and thanked Thilanga Sumathipala (former President of BCCSL and Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom) who volunteered to inaugurate the fund with a generous contribution. Thilanga Sumathipala, in turn, said that he was happy to be associated with the felicitation ceremony. He said: "In 1908 Moors was one of the top eight clubs and Sri Lanka cricket would not have been what it is today. He went on to say that Moors had difficulties, but the benefits could be seen now and congratulated the committee of Moors in recognising the efforts of their cricket side who won the Premier Trophy and wished them well in the future." Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, A. H. M. Azwer, speaking on the occasion hoped and prayed that Moors could not only win the Premier Championship in their centenary year, but provide more cricketers to the national side. He too spoke about some top cricketers who turned out for Moors and commented that they (Moors) could have won the title several years ago, but "cricket like our life has its own ups and downs". Minister Azwer too commented that there should have been more cricketers from Moors in the national pool and thanked Shafiq Rajabdeen and his committee for organising this felicitation ceremony for its cricket team in winning the trophy after 95 years. Minister of Port Development, Shipping and Eastern Province Development and Muslim Religious Affairs Rauff Hakeem, who is also a committee member of Moors, recalled that he was a member of the club before he took to politics and had fond memories. He congratulated the team in winning the Premier Championships and thanked everyone, even those working behind the scenes like the ground boy and labourers, for their contribution towards the success. He said that he hoped that Moors will continue to achieve greater heights and produce national cricketers and also revive contributions to other sports activities. Minister of Western Region Development M. H. Mohamed, spoke with nostalgia his association with the Moors SC and the yeoman service rendered to sports in Sri Lanka by the club. He too congratulated the club in winning the Premier Championship after 95 years and thanked Shafiq Rajabdeen and members for inviting him to be associated at this historical event. The sponsors of Moors SC cricket - The Phone Company, gave some special awards to five individual cricketers - Bhathiya Perera (best Batsmen), Nandika Ranjith (Best Bowler), Wesley Fernando (Best Fielder), Chandika Hathurusinghe (Best Allrounder) and Chanaka Welagedera (Best Young Cricketer). All members of the team were presented with cash awards. They included Chandika Hathurusinghe (Rs. 95,000), Rangana Hearath (Rs. 90,000), Bhathiya Perera (Rs. 90,000), Chanaka Welagedera (Rs. 85,000), Nandika Ranjith (Rs. 77,000) and Wesley Fernando (Rs. 70,000). A. J. M. Muzamil delivered the vote of thanks. Among the other dignitaries present were Prasanna Gunewardene (Mayor of Colombo), Azath Salley (Deputy Mayor of Colombo), A. H. M. Fowzie (MP), Nuski Mohamed (former Secretary of BCCSL), Jayantha Dharmadasa (a former Deputy President of BCCSL), Tryphone Mirando (a former Secretary of BCCSL), Anura Tennekoon (Chief Executive Officer of BCCSL), Dr. H. I. K. Fernando, Michael Tissera and many others. |
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