President – the guiding light for progress of sport - Sports
Minister
by S.M. Jiffry ABDEEN – Kandy Sports Corr.
”President Mahinda Rajapaksa has the unique record of being the only
President of a State to have held the post of President of a national
sport body. He held the post of President of Sri Lanka Athletic
Association when he was a Minister’s said the Minister of Sports
Mahindananda Aluthgamage when he addressed the Colours Ceremony of St.
Anthony’s Girls College, Kandy at the School Hall last Saturday.
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Minister of Sports
Mahindananda Aluthgamage |
The Sports Minister said that the love the President had for sports
was so great that he has with his personal effort has improved the
standard of sports in the country. Minister Aluthgamage said that the
President had drawn up many policy plans to improve the standard of
sports both at national and international levels.
With President Rajapaksa taking such a keen interest in sport, the
standard has improved and the Sports Minister said that in cricket, for
example, cricketers like Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan made
giant steps forward with the encouragement given by President Mahinda
Rajapaksa. That was not the end. Athlete Duncan White – the first medal
winner at the Olympic Games also hailed from Kandy. Besides Duncan
White, there was athlete sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe who won a medal
at the Sydney Olympic games.
”Though we are a small nation we have done extremely well in sport at
international level despite the 30-year-old ethnic war which drained our
resources and slowed down in our forward march in sports.” Minister
Aluthgamage said.
Sri Lanka will go forward
The Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, however said that Sri Lanka,
as a sports nation would not look back. Now war the was has come to an
end, cricket has taken a lead role and within the last three years, Sri
Lanka constructed three of the best cricket stadiums in the world and it
helped Sri Lanka to stage the T20 World Cup matches.
The T20 World Cup cricket matches brought the country plentry of
money and boosted our economy.
That was not all, the tourist industry also bloomed and new hotels
have come up and the industry is flourishing now.
St. Anthony’s Girls College authorities had made a passionate plea
that the school’s playground be provided with a pavilion and a swimming
pool be constructed.
Facilities will be upgraded
Minister Aluthgamage said that for a school to improve in sports the
facilities must be upgraded and with that in mind, a pavilion will be
constructed, followed by the swimming pool next year. The schools are
the stepping stone from where the children improve in sports. The
children first represent the school and then go on to district and
provincial level, then to national level and international level.
The foundation must be solid at school and if that is so, then
naturally success will follow at national and international level.
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