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| Sunday, 1 August 2004 |
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Opathas promote sports tours to Sri Lanka by Lal Gunasekera Remember Tony Opatha, the former Sri Lanka Test cricketer and national coach of Holland for over 26 years? He is now in his country of birth operating a travel agency Aro Travels together with his wife Sandra who specialise in sports and adventure holidays to Sri Lanka. Opatha, who represented Sri Lanka at two World Cups (1975 and 1979), through Edwin Doren Travels Limited of England (their agents), brought down a 45-member rugby contingent comprising 37 boys and eight members of the staff of Lady Manners School from Derbyshire for a 11-day tour of the country. They played games against Sri Sumangala at Havelock Park, Dharmaraja and S.Thomas' and leave for Singapore and Malaysia tomorrow (Monday) where they will be engaged in matches. The tour to Sri Lanka was a nostalgic visit for Chris Weeks, who is the coach cum manager of the Lady Manners School which was established in 1638. He said that his parents Charles and Jean Weeks were based in Negombo with the Royal Air Force (RAF) 50 years ago, and that he remembers the beach when he was just six years old. He was in Sri Lanka for a period of three years with his parents. Speaking to the `Sunday Observer' at the Opatha residence in Colombo, Weeks, said that the 37-member team of players have two sides and that the total cost of their tour was in the region of 100,000 Sterling Pounds of which part was colleted through auctions etc. by the schoolboys themselves. They were housed at the Mount Lavinia Hotel and visited Galle too during their tour. Ian Tweedie, Tour Captain, and Tom Outram Team Captain disclosed that this was their first tour to Asia, although they have toured France earlier as well as South Africa two years back. They said that they were looking forward to their matches in Sri Lanka, and enjoying the climate although "Its pretty warm and humid". Also enjoying the hospitality of the Opatha's were Bob Woolmer, Pakistan's new national cricket coach, and Haroon Rasheed Pakistan's Manager who were here for the Asia Cup Cricket Tournament. Opatha, said that his travel agency was established in Holland nearly 15 years ago, but operates mainly in Sri Lanka with agents in England (Edwin Doren Travels Ltd.) and Hofmeester Travels Ltd., of Holland, but their client base spans across 10 countries - England, Holland, Wales, Ireland, Barbados, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldive Islands, Singapore and Australia. |
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