Japanese boost for baseball in Sri Lanka
by Ranjan Anandappa
|
The Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Baseball Ground will be
ceremonially declared open by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at
the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Sports Complex at
Diyagama today (Sunday) at 3.30 pm. Nobuhito Hobo,
Ambassador of Japan will also grace the occasion.
|
In the quest of uplifting the baseball standard which is gradually
gaining momentum in Sri Lanka, the Japanese Government under it’s Grant
Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects (GCGP) has provided a sum of
US $ 111,607 (Rs. 12 million) of grant assistance along with US $
136,400 (Rs. 14 million) from Japan International Cooperation (JICA) to
the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Development Foundation for the construction
of the baseball ground.
Sri Lanka has shown steady progress in baseball since they took up to
the sport a decade ago. Many feel that Sri Lanka has reached the
required standard to compete in the international arena as they were
placed 32nd out 72 countries in 2011 and has brought fame to the country
by winning the third place in the Asian Championships held in Thailand
in 2009 and securing the runner-up berth at the SAARC Baseball
Championship in Pakistan, 2011.
Japan is a country where baseball is tremendously popular, and Japan
has come to the Lankans assistance to promote the game in no uncertain
manner since 2002.
Commenting on the historic project the Japanese Ambassador Nobuhito
Hobo said that “It is significant that the inauguration of the baseball
ground coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations while
Japan’s support for baseball in Sri Lanka commenced in 2002 the year
Japan and Sri Lanka marked the 50th of diplomatic relations. This
project would contribute immensely to further enhancing the cultural
relationship between the two countries.”
-RA
|
