North and East cricketers make history:
Kilinochchi - the emerging destination for cricket
Making history in the annals of local sports, a T20 over Cricket
Match was held between Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Province
Combined Team Vs Melbourne’s Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
& Australian Hellenic Federation Combined Cricket Team recently. The
match was played at the Kilinochchi Central College playground.
Here they come ... The Melbourne Ferntree Gully District
Cricket Association & Australian Hellenic Federation team of
the cricket match. |
The Kilinochchi Central College playground was packed to capacity
with school children, sports enthusiasts and the general public who had
come in their numbers to witness this historic event.
Having won the toss, the local team opted to bat first. Their strong
batting line up ended up scoring 174 for six wickets at the end of the
innings. A.L Nadeeshan’s knock of fifty immensely contributed to the
local team’s score card.
Chasing the home team the visiting Australians were routed out for a
mere 104 runs in just 19 overs. Well executed bowling and excellent
fielding by the local lads led to the downfall of the young Australians.
It was a show of emerging young talent of the once war ravaged North
and East.
During the match 84 school children of Kilinochchi were distributed
with brand new push bicycles by the Foundation of Goodness with the
generous contribution by former national skipper Kumar Sangakkara.
The North- East combined cricket team members were also given with a
push bicycle, making it a total of 100 numbers.
It was a historic and a victorious moment not only for the young
cricketers but also for the people of the North and East.
This single event stand testimony, though having had to go through
many hardships in life and almost losing all future hopes about a better
future due to Terrorism and Violence, the enduring desire, unmatched
courage and the mental robustness of the people of Sri Lanka to meet the
challenges in life with a positive attitude of mind and their ability to
be victorious at the end.
It is also an indication to affirm that normalcy and peace has dawned
on Sri Lanka and the people of the North and East are at last fortunate
enough and privileged to join the mainstream society thus to live with
dignity and pride.
The victory over visiting young Australian Cricket Team is so
significant that it led to inspire, encourage and to establish new hopes
and dreams in the hearts and minds of many thousands of youths in the
former conflict zone.
The transformation taking place today in the North and East and
particularly in Kilinochchi is unprecedented. It was also a moment of
joy and happiness for all the security forces personnel in Kilinochchi
as well.
It was the Military Troops, who did the impossible to rescue the
people in Kilinochchi and elsewhere from the clutches of terrorists and
now continued to do so silently all what is possible to help rebuild the
life and society in North and East of Sri Lanka.
It was the Military Troops in Kilinochchi who organized the colourful
Cricket Match under the leadership of Kilinochchi Security Force
Commander Major General Udaya Perera with the sincere assistance of
Foundation of Goodness.
The event also sent a strong message to the extremist elements, local
and international that youth in North and East are better-off without
ethnic tensions, racial hatred and conflict and they are much concerned
and privileged to live in a peaceful society.
Depriving the rights of children is the most heinous crime humans
could commit against humanity since destroying the childhood permanently
endangers the future prosperity of a society.
Therefore extremist’s elements should understand before spreading
communal hatred, idea of separation and disharmony what they are about
or willing to sacrifice.
The North and East combined Cricket Team is the next best example
after Sri Lankan National Cricket Team to tell the world how best we
could achieve National Consensuses and Harmony through sports.
Both teams represents all ethnicities in Sri Lanka is a point to
note. The presence of the Australians in Kilinochchi was an inspiration
to all the courageous people in Kilinochchi which brought recognition
and pride to the society.
It gives a very clear indication to the world that Kilinochchi is
open to all, be it local or International thus safe and secure.
|