Services of athletes recognised

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka on Thursday set an example to fellow Ministers the importance of providing job opportunities for young athletes who are excelled in various sports activities by representing Sri Lanka in local and international sports events. Addressing a media briefing Minister Ranawaka said unlike athletes, Sri Lankan cricketers are getting enough opportunities to find employment both in State and private sector enterprises.

"Therefore I have decided to recruit more athletes to the CEB in future in order to help them financially, so that they could come up in their lives,"

Minister Ranawaka also called upon his fellow ministers to take appropriate measures to provide employment to our athletes considering the invaluable service they render to our motherland

and also they need financial assistance to improve their inborn talents.

As an initial step of the program, the Minister recruited internationally renowned five Sri Lankan athletes to the Ceylon Electricity Board. Athletes Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Nalin Karunarathna, Shehan Ambepitiya, Prasanna Peiris and Uditha Gayan received their letters of appointments from the Minister in the presence of Director General, Ministry of Higher Education Sunil Gunawardana.