Clifford Landers honoured in Australia

By Channa de Silva from Australia

MELBOURNE - Former Sunday Observer staffer Clifford Landers was honoured with the Male Journalist of the Year 2006 award for his voluntary contributions in the media category at the Second Annual 2006 Serendib News Business and Community Awards ceremony held here at the prestigious Palladiam Function Room, Crown Casino.

Clifford, who worked for the Sunday Observer since 1990 until arriving here in Australia in December 1995, has been a regular contributor and functions unofficially as Australia Correspondent for ANCL. He was among the pioneer voluntary writers for Sri Lanka's first and leading community newspaper in Australia and hosts of the awards ceremony 'Serendib News' which was established in 1997.

The awards ceremony is held to honour the local and global achievements of Sri Lankans and especially those who have achieved success in Australia. Many non-Sri Lankan Australians who had made significant contributions to the Sri Lankan community in Australia and Sri Lanka itself were also honoured.

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Aravinda de Silva who was among the distinguished invitees, awarded the handsome trophy to Clifford before a gathering of over 800 guests. Other distinguished guests were Chief Guest John Pandazopoulos MP - Minister for Tourism and Major Projects, Kusumsiri Balapatabendi - Sri Lanka High Commissioner in Australia, Roshan Mahanama - former Sri Lanka cricketer, Kamahl - World renowned and popular Australian entertainer.

Clifford had obtained his graduate diploma in Advances Freelance Journalism from the Australia College of Journalism and also had functioned as Editor for the St. Benedict's Old Boys Association in Melbourne for two years and has been a writer for sportsnews.net website on a voluntary basis.