Jogging track for hill capital

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.

The Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage said, “The people living in the Hill Capital will soon have a place of their own to do their constitutional walks and their jogging when a special lane is constructed along the Gannoruwa road in Peradeniya.

At present all unauthorised constructions are being demolished along this road amidst much opposition and no permission would be granted to construct buildings along the public road in future.

This lane which will be constructed will be along the Mahaweli Ganga which flows down below with full of fresh air provide the walkers with the Oxygen they require.What envisaged in the Mahinda Chinthanaya is a healthy nation and working towards it we must have people who are disease free for which they require the facility.

People have now realised the importance of physical exercise and earlier it was the elite ladies and gentlemen from the high society who indulged in walking and jogging in Colombo.

At times it turned out to be a fashionable parade. But it is not so now as everyone indulges in some kind of exercise to burn the excess calories. If you go to the Sports Ministry grounds and the independence Square you see around 5,000 people jogging.

This is not restricted to Colombo as at the Jayatillake Sprots Complex in Nawalapitiya a large number of people are seen jogging and walking. They in track suits or shorts or even sarongs wearing shoes, slippers or bare feet indulging in walking.

They are not the elite, but Piyadasa’s, Haramanis and Punchibanda’s. They have now realised the importance of exercise and stay disease free especially from diabetes and heart ailments.