British PM visits Gymkhana Club

It was a red letter day for Sri Lanka’s oldest British Club - the Gymkhana Club when the visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron visited the club in Colombo 7 yesterday.

Cameron, who is in Sri Lanka to attend the CHOGM 2013, was greeted on arrival by the President of the Gymkhana Club Shammi Silva. Former Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan and his manager and former Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Kushil Gunasekera too were among the distinguished gathering to welcome Cameron on his arrival at the club .

The Lankan spin wizard backed the British Premier’s decision to travel to Sri Lanka but said he had been misled about the situation in the country. “He must have been misled by other people. People speak without going and seeing the things there. I go on and off. I see from my eyes there is improvement,” Murali was quoted as saying.“I can’t say the prime minister is wrong or not. He hasn’t seen the site, he hasn’t gone and visited these places - yesterday only.”After the meeting, Cameron and Murali played cricket with young cricketers.

Cameron tweeted: “Muttiah Muralitharan tells me about Foundation of Goodness, his cricketing charity hoping to bring SriLanka together”The Gymkhana Club, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, comprises of the Queen’s Club, CH and FC and CCC. Cameron also had a short game of cricket at CCC, the oldest cricket club with a proud history of 181 years.