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| Sunday, 27 February 2005 |
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Straight Talk Let's tone down revelry at 'Big Matches'! The school cricket season is in full swing. The "Big Matches" between traditional rivals, too, started last week with the Thurstan vs Isipathana game, and there's more to follow like the Royal-Thomian, Josephian-Peterite, Ananda-Nalanda, Trinity-Antonian, Dharmaraja-Kingswood, Prince of Wales-St. Sebastian and a host of others. The heads of most of these institutions have promised that this year the "Big Matches" will be held on a low-key - whatever that means, as a mark of respect for the over 30,000 deaths due to the Boxing Day tsunami and the destruction that went with it. Thousands are yet in refugee camps. This is certainly not the time for the usual celebrations that associate with the "Big Matches". Papara bands, singing of lewd songs, misbehaving in public, invasion of girls schools, consumption of alcohol etc. must be stopped and the organisers of these games must strictly enforce discipline. Already, colourful advertisements have been appearing in the newspapers about tents at various matches for the young and old. The prices are exorbitant, but it goes with the lunch, tea and "beverages". Billions of rupees are needed for the reconstruction of the country which will take at least four to five years as estimated by the experts. True, life must go on, but surely the merrymaking at these "Big Matches" is quite unnecessary. Let the cricketers play the game in the middle and let the genuine spectators and well-wishers of the schools involved cheer them on, but the papara bands, dirty songs, crackers (there was nothing even at Christmas and New Year time), invasion of playing field and boozing that goes on must be stopped. Think of the persons who lost their lives and are affected by the tsunami. Surely, there has to be some sort of feeling towards our own people. Forget about the revelry this year at least and allow the game to be played in the centre by the two teams. Favoured cricketer A young cricketer (a superb all-rounder at that) from a leading school in Kandy with high connections is supposed to be favoured by certain umpires from the hill capital. No doubt that this cricketer is full of talent and a good bet for the future, but its certainly not good for his career if these umpires continue in this fashion. It's not good for the game too and is high time that the Central Province Cricket Umpires Association (CPCUA) takes note of this sad state of affairs. Allowance suspended The Sri Lanka Athletic Association (SLAA) has suspended the monthly allowance handed out to the national poolists. Their daily meals too have been withdrawn and the district pools scrapped. It's the responsibility of the SLAA to look after the athletes and nurture them. Also, now, most national level coaches are involved in private coaching assignments at international schools to earn their "bread and butter". It's high time that officials forget petty differences and unite for the betterment of the sport. The annual general meeting of this body too is round the corner (March 26). The present incumbent is not contesting. It was to be a contest between Ranjith Weerasena (a respected personality and a former chief of both SLAA and NOC) and Derwin Perera (a top notch coach and Deputy Director of the Ministry of Sports). Now comes the news that Janaka Bandara Tennekoon, a cabinet minister in the UPFA government, too is in the running for the top slot. Netball selections Trials were held recently at the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) at Maharagama by the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka (NFSL) to pick the national side for the postponed Asian Championships to be staged in Singapore in September. The earlier side that was in a residential camp under Lourdes Jayasekera (yet under suspension) was disbanded. About five top players boycotted the new trials and it included the players who led the country to victory at the previous Asiad. Further, two other players had sent medical certificates. I also understand that only three of the seven national selectors were present at these trials, but three pools had been picked for training before the final 15-member side is picked for Singapore. It seems that the squabbling yet goes on within the NFSL whose annual general meeting is to take place on March 27. Ethir to the fore Remember Dr. Nagalingam Ethirveerasingham, Sri Lanka's first gold medallist at the Asian Games in Tokyo in 1958? On a short vacation to his country of birth from the USA where he is now domiciled, 'Ethir', as he is popularly known, has indicated that he is keen to set up a Sports Science Institute in Kilinochchi for talented sportsmen and women to be trained as coaches. He is very keen to improve sports in the North and East of Sri Lanka. It will be remembered that 'Ethir' participated at the Helsinki Olympics as a 17-year-old youth in 1952, Asian Games in Manila in 1954 and the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. He later took up an appointment at the Sierra Leone University and also in Nigeria with UNESCO for five years, before migrating to the USA, where he is living in Los Angeles. |
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