Tony Opatha opens Academy with Moors
by Lal Gunesekera
Former Sri Lanka cricketer (before the country obtained full
membership of the ICC), Tony Opatha, has opened his own Cricket Academy
in partnership with the Moors Sports Club which is to be opened before
mid November.
Opatha represented Sri Lanka for nearly 13 years including two World
Cups in 1975 and 1979. He says that he “regrets very much” the South
African episode, which saw him and several other cricketers being banned
from the game. He said it was a rush of young blood.
The Moors SC-Tony Opatha International Cricket Academy, will have
Lanthra Fernando as its Head Coach with S. K. Paranavithana (Assistant
Head Coach), Luxman Ranasinghe (Coach) and Manjula Rajakaruna (Coach) to
assist Opatha himself, who is the Chairman cum Executive Director.
The “Academy” has also named five top administrators of the sport and
former cricketers as their Cricket Ambassadors. They are Ana Punchihewa,
Mohan de Silva, Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillekeratne and Sidath
Wettimuny.
Opatha said that the Academy will provide an unique opportunity for
young cricketers to develop their talent and that they hope to have
about 500 to 600 youngsters who could enjoy the facilities provided by
the President of Moors, Shafeeq Rajabdeen, and the Committee. Rajabdeen
is a dynamic personality and Opatha says that he is thankful to the
former.
Opatha further said that he hopes to negotiate and have the services
of cricketers in the calibre of Mahela Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas,
Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Malinga Bandara and Chamara
Kapugedera to encourage the youngsters with advice from time to time.
He said that he also hopes to arrange teams in the Under-13, 15, 17
and 19 from countries like India, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia,
Bangladesh, England, Ireland, Holland, Denmark, South Africa, Barbados
(in the West Indies), Australia and New Zealand to visit Sri Lanka for
matches with his Academy in the near future. |