Lack of funds a drawback for St. Sebastian’s College - Katuneriya
by Ranjan ANANDAPPA
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St. Sebastian’s College Katuneriya, who received the award for
the up-and-coming school cricket team at the Observer/Mobitel
Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year show.
In the picture are Prabath Dammika captain, Shasika Costa
(Coach), Dileepa Sinhabahu (Master in charge,). Nuwan Tharanga,
Indunil Jayaratne, Sujith Niranjan, Isac Appuhamy, Shera
Kaushalya, Ruwintha Akalanka, Eranga Lakshan, Mangala Priyantha,
Gihan Manusha, Asanka Sandamal, Ravindu Gunasekera, Lahiru
Gunasekera, Yukthi Janapriya, Sahan Vimukthi, Prasad Malith.
Picture by Kavindra Perera
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CRICKET AWARDS: Blessed with a reasonably good playground, but unable
to maintain it due to lack of funds and also the inability to purchase
cricket gear due to exorbitant high cost of materials is the drawback of
St. Sebastians College, Katuneriya who were judged as the Up-and-Coming
School cricket team at the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the
Year show. The school is situated in the Puttalam District in the
outskirts of Wennappuwa and cricket has been in and out in their
extra-curricular activities calendar. Since, the arrival of their new
Principal Mohan Wickremasinghe, who is a grade one cricket umpire and
attached to the Puttalam District Umpires Association, the game was
resuscitated. Cricket was played at junior level for sometime, and based
on this, the school was able to form an under 19 team for the first time
this year. The under 19 team was recently able to take part in the SLSCA
division three tournament. Out of the eight matches that the Katuneriya
Sebastianites have played, they have won 4 matches outright, lost to St.
Mary’s Chilaw and drawn the rest.
Besides the financial aspect of the game, the other drawback for the
school has been the lack of enthusiasm by the parents in encouraging
their sons to play cricket. Some have given priority to studies fearing
that the main cricketing ‘hub’ is in Colombo and playing the game
elsewhere would not take one far.
“The biggest drawback for us is finances to survive as a cricket
playing school. We lack funds. We did not play cricket on a regular
basis. That’s not because we were short of talent, but purely due to
financial problems”, said the Master-in-Charge for cricket Dileepa
Sinhabahu.
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