OBSERVER - MOBITEL cricket contests rake in Rs. 851,000

by Leslie FERNANDO

OBSERVER - MOBITEL AWARDS: There is big money to be won at the 32nd OBSERVER-MOBITEL Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest 2010. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) in association with Mobitel is offering additional cash rewards to schoolboy cricketers, school teams and also to the readers who pick future cricketing stars. Altogether Rs. 851,000 will be on offer to the respective winners and runners-up in the All-Island, Outstation and Team Awards. There are also awards for readers selected by coupons and SMS competition.

ALL ISLAND AWARDS: Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Best Fielder, Best Allrounder (Rs. 15,000 each), Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2010 (Rs. 20,000).

(Runners-up - Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Best Fielder, Best Allrounder (Rs. 10,000 each), Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2010 (Rs. 18,000).

OUTSTATION AWARDS:

Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Best Fielder, Best Allrounder (Rs. 15,000 each). Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2010 (Rs. 20,000).

Runners-up - Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Best Fielder, Best Allrounder (Rs. 10,000 each), Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2010 (Rs. 18,000).

Team Awards

Best school team: Southern Province, Eastern Province, Central Province, All Island, Outstation, Northern Province, Western Province, International School, North Western Province the Best Behaved Team All Island (Rs. 30,000 each).

Runners-up - Best school team: All Island, Southern Province, Northern Province, Central Province, Western Province, Best Up-and-Coming-Team All Island (Rs. 20,000 each).

Selection by Coupon Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year-Outstation, Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year-All-Island (Rs. 25,000), Runners-up. Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year-outstation, Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. All-Island (Rs. 20,000 each).

SMS Competition

SMS Competition - Most Popular Team All-Island and Outstation (Rs. 30,000 each). In addition, the organisers have decided to give Rs. 5000 to team winners from schools as transport charges for the award ceremony, individual or less than a team will receive Rs. 2,500.

It will be a big boost to the Master-in-Charge and Coaches who produce award winning teams. As an encouragement, they will receive Rs. 5,000 each.

It has also been decided to provide refreshments to all school cricket participants this year in addition to the usual refreshments offered.

Three lucky winners picked from the readers who sent in their voting coupons would get attractive cash rewards worth Rs. 5,000 every week. The amounts Rs. 2,500, Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 1,000 from the organisers. A total sum of Rs. 100,000 will be on offer.

A quiz competition related to the OBSERVER-MOBITEL Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Competition to be carried out using the Mobitel SMS platform (code 6644) in which Mobitel will be awarding the weekly winners with a Mobitel M 3 High Speed Internet Dongle.

This would be a great inspiration for cricket fans who vote for their favourite schoolboy cricket heroes. While backing their own schoolboy cricketers to the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricket Titles, they would stand a good chance of winning valuable cash awards and gifts.

Explaining the new move to reward the readers who vote for their favourite cricketers, Chairman of ANCL and veteran journalist and TV personality Bandula Padmakumara said the readers too, have played a vital role in promoting school cricket over the past three decades with their active participation and the readers too should be looked after.

This has been the show that produce cricketing legends. Hence a greater participation is vital in picking the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketers and we have maintained that over the past 31 years. In order to salute the overwhelming response from our readers, we have decided to grant additional cash awards he said.

IS in the running

Leisha de Silva Chandrasena, Chairperson SLT-MOBITEL Suren J. Amarasekera Chief Executive Officer MOBITEL said that they are happy to be associated with ANCL and the SUNDAY OBSERVER recognising schoolboy talent. “There is hidden talent. Evaluating their performances through an eminent panel of judges comprising representatives from the Umpires Association and Sri Lanka Schools Cricket. Association would give them a fair deal to come into limelight both Chairperson Leisha de Silva and Suren Amerasekera said, Readers could also vote for their favourite schoolboy cricketers from International Schools too. Such voting should be made under All-Island category. Voting for the Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year-All Island and Outstation contests began last week and the second weekly set of coupons would be published today. Voting coupons will also be published in the Daily News, Dinamina and Thinakaran.

The Sunday Observer readers would be on an advantageous position as they get two votes including a bonous vote per each coupon. All other voting coupons published in the Daily News, Dinamina, Thinakaran would get one vote each.