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| Sunday, 24 August 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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SLBA wastes no time - Batticaloa and Jaffna District Associations to be re-activated With peace prevailing in the North and East of the country after many years, the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA), are going full steam ahead in re-activating the sport in these areas with the formation of the Batticaloa District BA and Jaffna District BA. The President of the SLBA Riza Jumar, told the Sunday Observer that Council members of the governing body will be going to Batticaloa tomorrow (Monday) to form the Batticaloa District BA and also the Eastern Province BA too. He said that the activities of the Jaffna District BA have already started and pool training is also under way under Raj Kumar who is attached to the staff of St. John's College. Jumar further said that all district coaches arrive in Colombo once a month with progress reports which are reviewed by the SLBA authorities, who also conduct classes for these coaches on the first Saturday of every month. Every three months, a tournament is conducted for the district poolists and the shuttles are provided by the SLBA, who also pay these district coaches a sum of Rs. 2000 plus their travelling expenses when they have to travel to Colombo. He further disclosed that the SLBA have not yet been successful in obtaining the services of top notch coach from overseas for a long term assignment in Sri Lanka. He said: "Good coaches are costly and the demand for them is high, but the Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC) too is helping the SLBA on this matter and are scouting around. Even the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Johnston Fernando, too, has told the SLBA that he will assist them financially on this matter. Meanwhile, the final-rounds of the Junior National Championships is to be staged in Colombo from August 28 to 31 with the finals of each age group being worked off at the Royal College Sports Complex. The zonal and district rounds were completed on a grand scale this year with nearly 4000 shuttlers competing. A pool too is to be formed at the end of this tournament for intensive training as the SLBA hopes to focus their attention on players in the age group of 14 to 19 years. (L.G.) |
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