Fingara launches cricket coaching programme

CRICKET: The Fingara International Cricket Academy (FICA) launched a specialised cricket coaching programme for the children of Ceylinco Group employees recently.

Children of employees of the F&G Group, Seylan Bank and Ceylinco Insurance Company Ltd. aged between 6 and 19 participated in the first stage of the programme and were identified and categorised into Beginners Softball, Beginners Leather ball and Advanced coaching programmes by the team of FICA coaches headed by Hemantha Devapriya.

Deputy Chairman of the F&G Group, Mervyn Jayasinghe, said that the talented cricketers of Ceylinco employees will now have the opportunity to be trained and their skills improved at the country's most technologically advanced cricket coaching facility and progress to Advance Level I, II and III and Professional stages to reach national level.

Fingara's Cricket Ambassador Kumar Sangakkara, said that both he and Sanath Jayasuriya, are proud to be associated with FICA, and that the Ceylinco children are lucky to have come to the best place in the country to improve their talents, knowledge and learn the culture of the great game.

FICA will also sponsor the Kalutara District Inter-School Under-15 Six-a-Side tournament organised by the Association of Cricket Umpires at the Kalutara Esplanade on August 5 where 21 teams from 19 schools in the district will compete for honours.

The champions will receive the Fingara Challenge Trophy, while awards are also to be made to the runners-up, Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Best Fielder, Player of the Tournament and Player of the Final. To coincide with this tournament the FICA will also conduct a talent search by its team of coaches headed by Hemantha Devapriya and Sri Lanka cricketers, T. M. Dilshan, Malinga Bandara, Sujeewa de Silva and Chamara Silva.

They will pick the best 10 players of the tournament who will be offered scholarships to undergo a 12-month intensive coaching programme at the FICA.

- L.G.