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| Sunday, 28 November 2004 |
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Well done, Radha keep up good work! Straight Talk by Lal Gunasekera Amrith de Soysa, Mithun Perera and Binupa Wijesinghe are three of the youngsters who have graduated from the Junior Programme of the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) co-ordinated by Radha Sunderampillai, who is given unstinted support from the Sri Lanka Golf Union (SLGU) too. Ms. Sunderampillai has been involved with the RCGC for several years and was a player herself. When Mrs. Gunn Pieris, the late Manik Thurairaja, Anne Captain and others started golf among the juniors, Ms. Sunderampillai too was among them, and has always been an energetic personality and works behind the scene. I congratulate Ms. Sunderampillai for her keeness she has been showing with the 35 to 40 kids whose ages range from 7 to 10 years who practice thrice a week in the afternoons at the Ridgeways. She also conducts regular competitions for them every Wednesday and her ambition is to see that at least one kid graduates and does well in the "big league" per year. She is also helped in her endeavours by three pros in Tissa Chandradasa (who is now back in the country from Dubai). B. A. Rohana and J. J. Kumar. Ganesh Kumar too was among them, but the Victoria Golf Union has now "got" him. Among these kids, there are 28 with handicaps now playing in the men's competitions. However, Ms. Sunderampillai, faces one problem. Once these kids get a handicap, they are not regular at the Junior Programme, but she is a thoroughly satisfied lady. The fact is that the Junior Programme was started way back by the Ladies Section of the RCGC in 1989, but "came to a halt" a few years later. It was revived once again with Pheroze Billimoria and the famous Nandasena Perera (he later played on the APGA Tour after winning a silver medal for the country at the Asian Games) lending a helping hand. Then the SLGU got themselves involved in this programme under its previous President. Shiran de Soysa, and it has now gone from strength to strength. The SLGU got down a professional (Henk Stevens) from the Netherlands too, courtesy of Royal and Ancient (R & A), which is the controlling body for amateur golf in the world. He used to come down to Sri Lanka regularly for about three years to conduct clinics etc. for the youngsters and even 10 sets of clubs too were gifted for the beginners. He even held lessons for the pro's and it is they who are now helping out Ms. Sunderampillai in the Junior Programme. It will not be long before Sri Lanka has some really good players excelling on the IPGA and APGA Tours and I commend Ms. Sunderampillai, the RCGC and SLGU for having this type of programme for juniors. Swimming in tight corner Swimming is an individualistic sport and all swimmers come under their own coaches, who knows best what is best for his charges. Now with the South Asian Games to be staged in Sri Lanka in August next year (2005), a national pool is to be formed pretty soon under a national coach by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU). This has come under fire from various quarters. Swimmers who have been trained under their own coaches are up in arms and say that they should be allowed to continue their training under them for better results. They (the coaches) have been monitoring the progress of their swimmers under a training programme set by them to suit the individual swimmer. Isn't it better to get these coaches too to get themselves involved in the training of the national pool for the South Asian Games than having about 20 to 30 swimmers coming under just one coach. I am sure that this will bring better results. Let the national coach work hand in hand with the other coaches and let him (the national coach) overlook and monitor the progress of the national poolists. A top coach too is to be brought down soon by SLASU to train our swimmers for the South Asian Games. The coaches say that they have no objection at all for their swimmers to come under the foreign coach. The SLASU says that the coaches are attempting to prevent their swimmers joining the national pool and are hampering with the preparations. Even a questionnaire has been sent to the swimmers asking whether they are available etc. to join the national pool. Vijitha Fernando, who spends lavishly on swimming has gone on record to say that there is not a single qualified swimming coach in Sri Lanka. If he is correct, this is a bad reflection on the sport. It's a sad state of affairs, but what is the SLASU doing about it? He says that Wilson, who is the national coach, is the best of the lot. Come, come SLASU. Put aside all your petty differences and work together for the progress of the sport. That is all that matters in the end. It's the swimmers that suffer when the officials start bickering. If a swimmer wants to train under his or her own coach, allow it and give them the same facilities given to the others in the national pool. I am certain that these problems can and will be sorted out soon by all parties concerned. Lakshitha in cold storage There seems to be some truth in what chief selector Asantha de Mel once stated - the tour management does not play youngsters when they are picked. One example is that of Tharanga Lakshitha, the paceman hailing from St. Servatius' College in Matara, which school also produced Sri Lanka's dashing opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya too. Lakshitha also plays alongside Jayasuriya for Bloomfield, but after he toured South Africa in 2002, he has been 'cold shouldered' by the selectors themselves. Even on that particular tour, Lakshitha, was given just one "practice" match. He has represented the Sri Lanka under-19 and Sri Lanka 'A' sides too, but what has happened to him now? He has not been given another opportunity at international level to prove himself. It's not only Tharanga Lakshitha, but there are several others like him. The selectors must do justice by these young cricketers. Hooliganism again Hooliganism has reared its ugly head once again in the soccer field. The latest was at the game between Jupitors and Negombo Youth at the Kadelkelle grounds in Negombo. Spectators invaded the playing area and started throwing their fists around, with even some players getting involved and having to receive treatment for their injuries. For some time, there was no problems at soccer matches, but now it seems to have started again. The FFSL must try to put an end to this type of unruly behaviour and not allow it to get out of hand. |
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