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| Sunday, 29 June 2003 |
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Lanka to develop squash which had roots in colonial days by Srian Obeyesekere It might be many moons before Sri Lanka will see the likes of a Jehangir Khan on its squash circuit. But certainly the local squash authorities are striving to take a leaf from their big brother in the sub-continent, Pakistan where the game flourishes. There they were in their numbers at the gathering forum that was the Colombo Plaza (formerly Hotel Lanka Oberoi) airing their views and looking to a brighter future for squash in Sri Lanka. Of course, to take a cue from Pakistan which has dominated the world stage with countries like England and Australia also forging ahead, the local juggernaut was largely aware the groundwork had to be laid for Sri Lanka to take off from a fair Asian standard. For a sport which was introduced here just over two decades ago in 1982, the squash authorities are onto the first hurdle. The need to construct more squash courts throughout the island. Indeed, the setting up of more and more squash courts was one of the theme subjects which took a big slice of last Tuesday's confab. Much as the gathering of officials from the Sri Lanka Squash Federation and the Connaisance Group of Companies, which throws in lavishly hard currency to sustain the further development of the sport in the country, was to announce the staging of the Le Kandyan Open Squash Tournament 2003. The customary outlining of this annual event, which journeys to the salubrious climes of Kandy's hill country known as the `Le Kandyan resort' for the fifth successive year as one of the mega events of the local squash calendar from July 5 to 13, was enlightening as to a rosier future. Today, there was greater attraction to squash. Schools and clubs alike were taking to the sport and the Squash Federation had recognised the need to generate more facilities accordingly away from the city of Colombo which is central in nurturing latent talent. With the advent of the `Le Kandyan Open Squash Tournament,' salubrious Kandy had awakened as the next best destination from where resultantly today 5 to 6 courts adorned the town. It had become a nurturing ground with a Sunday clinic for starry eyed school children. What the Federation saw as good tidings was that in Kandy alone there were some six new schools attracted including St. Anthony's, Katugastota and Mahamaya, Girls High School. And Trinity College, a giant institution which has basked over the years as a bastion in schools rugby with a significant contribution to the national cricketing drive, had also got hooked with the squash concept which will be introduced very soon. As much as St. Anthony's Convent and Rahula College, Katugastota, it was announced. The Schools' Squash Association in Kandy was an active arm of development. As figure big did Kandy for the future where more squash layers are coming up, the fact that the sport had been in in existence in this fair, ancient city as far back as the colonial days as aired by the officials was something to lament about. What an extrodinary bank reserve on which there had been a visible fallback for such a heritege so old. Further, there had been two courts in Gurutalawala which incidentally had never been used. Of course, the development drive has forged on all wheels to as far as Bentota, according to the President of the Squash Federation, Air Vice Marshal A. B. Soza who emphasised that today school masters, parents and children were actively involved as one in taking squash a step further. Talent-wise, scope was sky high. As much as the schools, clubs were taking shape. Some soldiers were also being trained, according to the Chairman of the Tournament Committee, Lt. Col. T. N. Jayasuriya. Similarly, more and more ball boys at squash courts were also showing an interest, enlightened Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Connassance, Sunimal Senaratne. Connaissance will be sponsoring this July's Le Kandyan Open Tourney' with Colombo Plaza as the co-sponsor. The development drive in Colombo as well centred on fine honing talent from the schools. D.S. Senanayake College, Royal College, St. Joseph's and Wesley College were in the forefront. A driving force was the staging of the Asian Seniors and Asian Juniors. Meanwhile, the leverage generated from the hotel industry stepping in is manifold. As much as the Connaisance Group will be sponsoring such tournaments, the interest taken by this hotel chain extends from squash to other sports in so much as serving as a viable foreign exchange earner to boost the tourist industry, according to Senaratne who along with his General Manager, Marketing and Sales, Denesh Silva referred to the promotion of cricket through what they called sports tourism. Tourists were attracted by way of cricket clubs in the U.K. and the Netherlands which came down on tours with which former Sri Lankan cricketer, Tony Opatha was associated as a livewire. By this concept Connaissance was in the forefront of similarly extending a hand towards the national cricket development drive where local talent in the provinces was also attracted to compete against visiting teams. Other sports were golf and rugger, the latter through which women's team from Hong Kong were showing an interest to scrumming down in Sri Lanka. And as the season focusses on the `Le kandyan Open', it will be from difficult times of the last four years as seen by Senaratne to a much better today that the tournament will be looked at when it will bring together talent. The main events being the open for men and women,, men's/ women's intermediate (over 35) the masters (over 45), boys and girls under-11, 13, 15, 17 and 19. Of course, the draw will be defending champions - Navin Samarasinghe in the men's open and Tehani Guruge in the women's open as the `Le Kandyan' takes off on July 10 with the preliminary rounds to be conducted at the courts of Colombo Plaza. It will shift from Colombo to Kandy from July 11 - 13. It will be the ground for the starry eyed to achieve national ranking status from this tournament in their dream world of squash. |
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